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| Access. Collaboration. Excellence.

Advancing Healthcare Access and Workforce Development Across East Texas 

Texas AHEC East is committed to strengthening the healthcare workforce in East Texas—especially in rural and high-needs communities. Through our network of eight regional centers, we connect over 18 million people across 100 counties to vital health resources, professional training, and workforce development programs. 

Our focus is on improving the supply, distribution, training, and retention of qualified healthcare professionals, ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to quality care. Each of our regional centers is deeply embedded within the communities they serve—hosted by local institutions or nonprofit organizations—allowing us to deliver programs that are both impactful and locally informed. 

Headquartered in Galveston, Texas, on the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), the Texas AHEC East program office supports regional efforts with strategic guidance, collaboration, and statewide coordination.

Our Mission

Improve the supply, distribution, training and retention of qualified healthcare professionals, so that even the most remote communities can access quality care.

Reach

Texas AHEC East (TAE) is committed to strengthening the healthcare workforce in East Texas and surrounding regions — especially in rural and high-needs communities. Through our network of eight regional centers, we serve over 18 million people across more than 100 counties.

Our flagship offices are headquartered at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, and we have centers in the Capital Region, Coastal Region, DFW Region, Greater Houston Region, Northeast Region, Piney Woods Region, Victoria Region, and the Waco Region.

Why our regional structure matters

  • Local embedment: Each center is hosted by a local institution (often a non-profit or community entity), giving it strong ties to the unique needs of its region and enabling tailored programs.

  • Broad reach: With eight centers covering over a hundred counties, we ensure that rural, urban, and micropolitan areas are all supported.

  • Diverse strategies: From high-school health career camps to continuing education for practicing providers, the spectrum of interventions helps build workforce capacity at multiple levels.

  • Workforce focus: By engaging students early, supporting rotations and placements in high-needs settings, and offering continuing education, we aim to improve not just supply but also distribution and retention of health professionals.

Get involved

  • High school and college students interested in health-career tracks are encouraged to connect with their regional center for mentoring, job-shadowing, camps and more.

  • Current health professions students can explore the AHEC Scholars program, which offers interprofessional experiential learning working in rural and high-needs communities.

  • Providers and community stakeholders can partner with their regional center for continuing education, community health initiatives, and workforce-development efforts.

Region Map

Key Beliefs of AHEC

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Texas AHEC East is a Charter Member of the National AHEC Organization (NAO), now comprised of 56 AHEC programs and more than 235 centers operating in almost every state and the District of Columbia. NAO supports and advances the AHEC network in improving the health of individuals and communities by transforming health care through education.

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