NEWAHEC: NorthEastern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center

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Manitowoc, WI
NEWAHEC: NorthEastern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center

Creating communities where health, connection and support thrive.

Our mission is to create a healthier Wisconsin by reducing substance use, fostering a diverse healthcare workforce, and strengthening underserved communities through education and collaboration.

08/08/2025

🌟 "Trauma is to mental health as smoking is to cancer" - Dr. Steven Sharfstein

What a powerful way to wrap up our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion! Becky Richards MS, LPC, CSAC, C-DBT (owner of Summit Clinical Services) and her husband Cody Richards, MSW, APSW, CSAC brought it all together with their session on Whole Person Care: A discussion of systems and practice on the front lines of service delivery.

This skilled pair - a dually licensed psychotherapist certified in DBT and a dedicated social worker advocating for addiction recovery - reminded our participants of a profound truth: most adults have experienced trauma in some form.

Becky's guidance to our future healthcare providers was brilliantly transformative: Be curious observers who are compassionate.

When we approach each patient with genuine curiosity rather than assumptions, and lead with compassion rather than judgment, we create space for true healing to occur. This is what whole person care looks like - seeing beyond symptoms to understand the complete human being in front of us.

Our medical students left equipped not just with clinical knowledge, but with hearts prepared to serve with empathy and understanding. The future of healthcare is in excellent hands! 💙

08/08/2025

💙 "What happened to you?" vs. "What's wrong with you?"

Cody Richards, MSW, SPSW, CSAC and Rob Schneider, LPT-IT, SAC-IT from Freedom Behavioral Health brought such important perspective to our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion.

Their insight? They're providing care to individuals navigating incredibly challenging circumstances.

What struck our medical students most was the shift in questioning - moving from "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" This simple change opens the door to understanding rather than judgment, to healing rather than shame.

They emphasized how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) significantly impact someone's ability to cope with stress throughout life. When we understand someone's story - their trauma, their struggles, their resilience - we can meet them with the compassion they deserve.

Our future healthcare providers left with a deeper understanding that behind every person is a story, and behind every story is an opportunity to provide healing, hope, and support.

Thank you, Cody and Rob, for reminding us that everyone deserves to be seen with dignity and understanding!

08/07/2025

🤝 Understanding the whole person, supporting the whole community

What an eye-opening session we had earlier this week! Corrections Field Supervisors Jennifer Zick and Kevin Mueller, along with Probation Agents Brandi Magel and Whitney Andrastek from the Department of Community Corrections brought incredible insight to our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion.

Zick helped our participants understand the DOC's vital role as part of Wisconsin State Government - supervising individuals on probation and those released from prison while providing services and accountability.

But what really impressed our medical students was their holistic approach to supporting clients. This isn't just about supervision - it's about helping people work toward their goals, rebuild their lives, and contribute positively to our community.

Our future healthcare providers left with a deeper appreciation for the collaborative work happening across sectors to support individuals on their journey toward stability and success. When we understand the full picture of someone's life - including their involvement with community corrections - we can provide more comprehensive, compassionate care. 🌟

Thank you to this amazing team for expanding our participants' perspective on community health and partnership!

08/07/2025

🎯 "You need to slow down to speed up"

Tyra Gutschow, Community Relations Liaison, and Jaimie Simon, Clinical Operations Supervisor from Rogers Behavioral Health brought essential skills training to our Wisconsin AHEC Community Health Immersion!

Their focus? Motivational Interviewing - a crucial communication skill that will serve our medical students throughout their entire careers.

Simon's wisdom resonated deeply with our participants: "You need to slow down to speed up" and "We need to listen to understand."

These aren't just nice phrases - they're transformational approaches to patient care. When healthcare providers take the time to truly listen and understand their patients' perspectives, they build trust, uncover real motivations for change, and ultimately achieve better health outcomes.

Our participants left equipped with practical tools to have more meaningful, effective conversations with their patients. Sometimes the most powerful intervention is simply being heard. 👂💙

Thank you, Tyra and Jaimie, for investing in the next generation of compassionate healthcare providers!

08/07/2025

💙 "The clinical system needs compassion just as much as competence"

Alex Hunt, Executive Director of The Haven of Manitowoc County, brought powerful perspective to our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion on the intersection of mental health and homelessness.

His challenge to our participants was simple:
✨ Meet people where they are - sometimes literally
✨ Listen, learn, and don't be afraid to ask what someone needs
✨ Remember that recovery and stability are possible - but only if we stop treating people as disposable

We have the power to be the difference between despair and hope in someone's life. Every patient - housed or unhoused - deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity. Compassion paired with clinical skills can break cycles, restore hope, and remind people of their inherent worth. The world needs providers like you who understand that healing happens when we combine excellent medicine with genuine human connection. 🌟

08/07/2025

🧠✨ Autumn Bosch, CCLC brought incredible insights to our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion on integrating somatic therapy into medical practice! Our participants were captivated learning how "breath connection with the body" can be a powerful healing tool.

Bosch beautifully explained how somatic therapy helps patients connect their physical experiences with suppressed emotions, creating a safe pathway for healing. She walked our future providers through the fascinating science behind it all:
🧭 Limbic System - regulating fear and anxiety responses
🎯 Prefrontal Cortex - engaging executive function to process feelings
💭 Hippocampus - reprocessing traumatic memories with clarity
⚡ Brainstem - building awareness of fight/flight/fawn/freeze responses
🤲 Somatosensory Cortex - recognizing how the body holds trauma

Her message was clear: understanding brain structure, breathwork, and self-regulation are crucial tools in comprehensive patient care.

And here's what made it truly special - Bosch didn't just talk the talk! She guided our medical students through trauma-informed yoga so they could experience somatic therapy firsthand. 🧘‍♀️

And our students were so engaged that they all noted down her book recommendation: "The Body Keeps the Score" by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk for summer reading! 📚

The future of healthcare is integrative, and these students are ready for it! 💪

08/07/2025

Dr. Brittany Schultz from Acupuncture By The Lake brought such valuable perspective to our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion! Our medical students were fascinated to learn about acupuncture's benefits for both physical and mental health.

But here's what really resonated: Dr. Schultz's emphasis on remaining curious. She encouraged our future providers to be "noticers" of their patients, especially through three simple but powerful questions:
❓ What are you eating?
❓ How are you sleeping?
❓ How's your home life?

Her wisdom: "Patients will give you a lot of data through these open-ended questions."

What struck participants most was her humility: "I've treated more than 10,000 patients over the years, but I still hold the posture of a curious learner." And she's walking the talk - heading back to the classroom this fall to pursue her second doctorate- this time in psychology to better serve her clients! 📚

This is what lifelong learning in healthcare looks like. Stay curious, future providers! 🔍✨

08/06/2025

🎯 Spotlight on our incredible presenters!

A huge thank you to Carmen Persaud, LPC, CSAC, ISC and Mary Spaulding, LCSW, EMDR from CORE Treatment Services, Inc. for kicking off our Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion with such valuable insights!

Their message to our medical students was clear: "Know your local resources so you can refer well." These experienced professionals emphasized how crucial it is for future providers to build strong connections with community mental health providers to ensure seamless, comprehensive care for their patients.

Our students left inspired with excellent resources to explore:
📺 Dr. Nadine Burke Harris' powerful TED Talk on childhood trauma and health
🎬 Dr. Gabor Maté's film "The Wisdom of Trauma"
📖 Dr. Maté's book "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts"

The enthusiasm in the room was palpable - our CHI students are eager to dive into these recommendations and deepen their understanding of trauma-informed care. This is exactly the kind of community partnership that strengthens our healthcare system! 🤝

08/05/2025

🧠💚 Yesterday we kicked off "Mental Health Matters: Redefining Care in Healthcare" with our dedicated medical students participating in this Wisconsin AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Community Health Immersion focused on one of the most pressing issues facing our state.

Over the coming days, these future healthcare providers will dive deep into community-driven solutions - from improving access to mental health care to strengthening support programs and advancing su***de prevention efforts.

Mental health is health, and together we're training the next generation to redefine how we approach care in our communities. 🧠💚

08/05/2025

We're proud to share the impactful work of the Healthiest Manitowoc County Substance Use Prevention Coalition. Together, our Emergency Overdose Kit initiative demonstrates how strategic community partnerships can create real, measurable impact.

The Challenge: Accidental overdoses affect people across all demographics.

The Solution: Strategically placed Emergency Overdose Kits containing Naloxone, CPR equipment, and clear instructions, making life-saving intervention accessible to everyone.

The Impact: Over 25 local organizations and businesses have already partnered to ensure these resources are available where people live, work, and gather.

This initiative showcases the power of cross-sector collaboration in public health. By removing barriers to emergency response and leveraging Wisconsin's Good Samaritan Law protections, we're creating a model that other communities can replicate.

Key takeaway: Sometimes the most effective solutions are also the simplest—putting the right tools in the right hands at the right time.

Learn more: HealthiestMC.org/Narcan

07/23/2025

✨ Your time is a gift that keeps on giving ✨ Join Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital’s volunteer team and discover how helping patients can transform both their experience and yours. Perfect for students exploring healthcare careers!

07/16/2025

🌟 Student Success Story: We're thrilled to highlight Emily Brown, an MBA student from Concordia University Wisconsin, who is making meaningful contributions as our Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) intern at SSM Health.

Emily's summer project focuses on critical community needs - developing comprehensive resource guides for homelessness and transportation access. Her hands-on approach includes direct community engagement through outreach events.

This is exactly the kind of innovative thinking and community-focused leadership we need in healthcare! Congratulations to Emily and her mentor, Laura Nakielski, for this impactful work.

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621 York Street
Manitowoc, WI
54220

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http://www.newahec.org/

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The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program is a national initiative, begun in the 1970s, for improving the accessibility and quality of primary health care. The program was designed to encourage universities and educators to look beyond their institutions to partnerships that meet community health needs, working toward the goal of decentralizing health professions training and linking communities with academic health centers in partnerships that promote cooperative solutions to local health problems. Almost every state has an AHEC program. The program operates through contracts between the host medical school and regional AHEC centers. These centers may be independently incorporated, or they may be hosted by a local health care provider or community organization. They all must have an advisory board with membership drawn from the region served by the center. The nature of the programming undertaken by these centers varies greatly, depending upon state and academic resources and local needs, but almost always includes:

Developing learning experiences for all health professions students at community-based sites;

Sponsoring health careers programming in schools in underserved rural and urban areas;

Providing services to health professionals in underserved communities to enhance the practice environment and connect community practitioners with the educational resources of the academic medical centers; and

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