About us

NAHEC, through collaborative efforts, improves access to quality health care by promoting improvements in the supply, training, development and distribution of health professionals in a 5-county area.

 

Why do our staff love working here?  Check out this fun video that showcases staff from Northern Area Health Education Center, Central New York Area Health Education Center, and Health WorkForce New York and why they love what they do!

Who We Are

Established in July 2001, NAHEC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community-based organization working to improve health care access, delivery, and outcomes in a 5-county region of Northern New York.

The NAHEC service area is home to hospitals and health care providers located in predominantly rural areas. There are numerous geographic pockets of federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) within the NAHEC region, specifically in the areas of primary health care, mental health care, and dental health care. Our Pipeline to Practice approach connects students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health.

The NAHEC’s mission was adopted in June 2002 and reads as follows: NAHEC, through collaborative efforts, improves access to quality health care by promoting improvements in the supply, training, development and distribution of health professionals in a 5-county area.

 Strategic planning is guided by the mission and allows NAHEC to focus its efforts in four priority areas:

  1. Health careers exploration
  2. Continuing education programs and services
  3. Clinical training opportunities
  4. Community partnership development

 

Our Region

  As part of the larger New York State AHEC System, NAHEC is one of nine centers in the State of New York offering statewide capacity for addressing healthcare workforce needs.  NAHEC serves Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin and Clinton counties.

Our Staff

Richard Merchant
CEO
rkm@nahecnet.org / 315.379.7701

Christina DeLorenzo
CFO
cdelorenzo@nahecnet.org / 315.379.7701

Whitney Callaghan
NAHEC Center Director
whitney@nahecnet.org / 518.813.7468

Bryn Donovan
NAHEC Program Coordinator
bryn@nahecnet.org / 603.412.2690

Steven G. Frederick 
VP of Business Development
sfrederick@hwny.org 

Christen Aldrich
Administration and Communications Manager
christen@hwapps.org / 530.680.5501

Kris Merchant 
HWNY Director of Projects
kris@hwapps.org / 315.212.7517

Ben Aldrich
HWNY Director of Technology and Data Security
ben@hwapps.org / 315.244.7260

Ashleigh McGowan
HWNY VP of Strategy & Operations
amcgowan@cnyahec.org / 607.423.9199

 

 

 

 

 

Board of Directors

Chair
Anne Richey
Chief Executive Officer
Cerebral Palsy Association of the North Country & Community Health Center of the North Country

Vice Chair
Gerald R. Cayer
Chief Executive Officer
Lewis County General Hospital 

Treasurer
Joe Keegan
President
North Country Community College
Saranac Lake Campus 

Secretary
Paul Dingman
Administrator (Retired)
Plattsburgh City School District

Members

Katherine L. Beissner, P.T., Ph.D.
Dean, College of Health Professions
SUNY Upstate Medical University

Lennart D. Johns, Ph.D., ATC
Dean, Lewis School of Health Sciences
Clarkson University

Rodney Boula, MHA, MHCQI
Chief Executive Officer
Abbeville Area Medical Center

Kassandra Beauregard
Director of Learning and Development
The University of Vermont Health Network
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital

Rich Duvall
Chief Executive Officer
Carthage Area Hospital                                Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center

Joe Keegan
President
North Country Community College
Saranac Lake Campus