BOZEMAN — A new wheelhouse to support healthcare workforce development and training specific to Indigenous communities is in development at Aaniiih Nakoda College in Montana.
Montana’s Area Health Education Center, which is housed in the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University, recently added the state’s inaugural American Indian AHEC to its network.
The center’s host institution will be Aaniiih Nakoda College, located in Harlem on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The American Indian AHEC will serve as a hub within the statewide AHEC network designed specifically to bolster tribal perspectives, said Kailyn Mock, director of Montana AHEC. Its overall goals are to expand access to quality healthcare for American Indians in the state, increase the recruitment pipeline into healthcare roles for American Indian students, and strengthen culturally responsive education and training, she said.
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Developed by Congress in 1971, AHECs are a national network of community-academic partnerships designed to improve healthcare access, especially in rural and underserved areas. They receive funding through the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which is a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sean Chandler, president of Aaniiih Nakoda College, said the college is honored to be selected as the host institution.
“This opportunity reflects our commitment to community, education and service,” Chandler said. “At ANC, we believe in growing our own healthcare workforce by supporting students as they prepare to serve their families, communities and homelands. Through the American Indian AHEC, we will continue expanding pathways into health professions and strengthening community-based training grounded in Indigenous lifeways and culture.”
Aaniiih Nakoda College was selected in March as the host institution after a competitive search process guided by a full review committee. Mock said it brings to the table strong tribal leadership, community roots and opportunities to expand partnerships, existing educational infrastructure and a longstanding commitment to student success.
The center is still in the early stages, with the first year expected to focus primarily on infrastructure development, strategic planning, staffing, partnership building and advisory committee formation.
Mock explained the expansion of Montana’s AHEC network to include the first-ever American Indian AHEC will enhance the program’s statewide reach. The new center will complement the work of existing centers by filling long-standing gaps in healthcare workforce support for American Indian communities, she said.
“This center helps address unique challenges such as the underrepresentation of American Indian healthcare professionals, geographic isolation of many tribal communities, limited local access to health profession pipeline programs, and the ongoing need for healthcare providers who understand tribal cultures and community priorities, ensuring solutions are community-informed rather than one-size-fits-all,” Mock said.
Montana’s existing AHEC network includes an office in Bozeman and centers in Missoula, Helena, Billings and Miles City.
Montana AHEC has many ongoing training programs related to healthcare workforce development. Some of its recent programs have included training nurses to obtain their Sexual Assault Nurse Examinator certification, providing leadership resources for preceptors who mentor nursing students in clinical settings, providing leadership and recruitment resources for emergency medical services directors, and creating cultural awareness resources specific to each Montana tribal reservation for the healthcare providers there.
