Mid-Missouri Area Health Education Center serves as a catalyst for recruitment, retention, and local support of health care providers in the rural and medically underserved counties of central Missouri, resulting in healthier, stronger communities.

We achieve this most successfully by empowering community residents to take an active role in grooming local youth to be future providers and recruiting healthcare providers who are genuinely interested in serving locally and becoming long-term citizens of that community. In addition, Mid-MO AHEC encourages and assists communities in building local relationships and support to retain the providers. Research has shown that the stability of healthcare providers within a small community can drastically impact the health of that population and the economic growth of that area. Many local "players" must partner together to make this community betterment happen successfully.

As of January 2004, all but five Missouri counties have been designated by Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as health professional shortage areas (HPSA) based on either geographic or income levels. At least 70% of the population within the 23 counties in the mid-Missouri region live in rural locations. This means that a majority of central Missourians do not have adequate access to healthcare providers locally. In the same way, many communities may have providers, but they don't meet the needs of the local area.