Central Massachusetts Area Health Education Center (CMAHEC)

In 1971, the federal government created Area Health Education Centers as an academic-community partnership to “improve the supply, distribution, diversity and quality of the healthcare workforce.” The Central Massachusetts Area Health Education Center, Inc. (CMAHEC) was established in 1982 by the University of Massachusetts Medical School as part of a statewide system of six regional offices, the MassAHEC Network.

Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, CMAHEC is part of The Center for Health Impact, a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 organization overseen by a Board of Directors. The Center for Health Impact is certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a W/NPO, a women-run non-profit organization.

The mission of CMAHEC and the MassAHEC Network is to reduce health disparities across Central Massachusetts and the state by enhancing the skills and increasing the diversity of the health care workforce and facilitating access to culturally and linguistically responsive health care services. We recruit, inspire, and train a diverse and broad range of health professionals to practice in underserved and vulnerable communities.

Major funding is provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the US Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Massachusetts Medical School.