Erica Young named as executive director of MICI-AHEC
The University of Indianapolis has named Erica Young the new Executive Director of the Metropolitan Indianapolis Central Indiana Area Health Education Center (MICI-AHEC).
An AHEC is a network of regional health education centers, coordinated through a central program office and designed to assess and meet the needs of citizens in that specific region. The mission of the Indiana AHEC Network is to improve health by recruiting, educating and retaining health care professionals for underserved communities in Indiana. The Metropolitan Indianapolis Central Indiana Area Health Education Center (MICI-AHEC) plays an important role in helping health care professionals prepare to meet the needs of these counties: Marion, Madison, Johnson, Hancock, Hendricks, Boone, Shelby, Morgan and Hamilton. The University of Indianapolis has been the host organization for MICI-AHEC since 2014.
Erica Young holds a bachelors degree in kinesiology and masters degree in public health, both from Indiana University. She has a passion for working with underserved, economically disadvantaged youth and adults. She joined MICI-AHEC in 2011 as site coordinator for the organizations Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) grant.
Since joining MICI-AHEC, Ive been able to work with underserved youth to encourage them in their pursuit of careers in healthcare, Young said. As site coordinator, then project coordinator, and most recently as associate director, Ive been able to help high school students access the tools, resources, and exposures they need to apply to and be accepted in competitive health profession programs.
CHS Dean Stephanie P. Kelly, PhD, said that Youngs tenure with MICI-AHEC is a benefit as she assumes leadership of the organization.
Ericas five years of experience working with MICI-AHEC in creating, implementing and executing programs, conferences, curricula, and camps gives her the historical knowledge of where MICI-AHEC has been, Kelly said. I look forward to working with her as she creates new ways to work with the community and form new partnerships to push the mission of MICI-AHEC forward.