About Catskill Hudson AHEC
Overview
Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center’s (CHAHEC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and one of nine partners in the New York State Area Health Education Center (AHEC) System. Catskill Hudson AHEC’s region is comprised of eleven (11) counties, including Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rockland, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster.
The goal of the AHEC program is to improve access to quality, primary healthcare in medically underserved areas through educational activities designed to recruit, train, and retain community-based healthcare personnel where they are most needed. Strategies used to achieve this goal include:
- Providing educational programs for youth (especially those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds) that introduce them to a myriad of health occupations through hands-on, engaging activities that encourage them to consider pursuing a health career after graduation;
- Developing opportunities and arranging placements for future health professionals to receive their clinical training; and
- Providing continuing education and professional support to health practitioners enhancing their skills in under-served communities.
Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission:
Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center’s mission is to address regional healthcare workforce shortages through education and collaborative community relationships to assist students, career seekers, and health professionals.
Download the general Catskill Hudson AHEC brochure here.
Our Vision:
The vision of Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center is to foster an 11-county region that proactively assesses, develops, and strengthens a diverse and motivated workforce to meet the needs of each individual community.
Our Staff

Katherine James
Program Manager
Regions Served
Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and one of nine partners in the New York State Area Health Education Center (AHEC) System. Catskill Hudson AHEC’s region is comprised of eleven (11) counties, including:
- Columbia
- Delaware
- Dutchess
- Greene
- Orange
- Otsego
- Putnam
- Rockland
- Schoharie
- Sullivan
- Ulster
Additional New York State AHEC partners include:
Bronx Westchester AHEC – www.bwahec.org
Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island AHEC – www.bqliahec.org
Manhattan, Staten Island AHEC – www.msiahec.org
Erie Niagara AHEC – www.erieniagaraahec.org
Northern AHEC – www.northernahec.org
Hudson-Mohawk AHEC – www.hmahec.org
Central New York AHEC – www.cnyahec.org
Western New York AHEC – www.r-ahec.org
Our Board of Directors
(Click on Picture to read Biography)

Kenneth J. Steier, DO, MBA, MPH, MHA, MGH
Chair, Board of Directors

Thomas G. Nolen, PhD
Vice President, Board of Directors

Steven L. Kelley, FACHE
Treasurer, Board of Directors

Michele Crespo-Fierro, RN, PhD, MS/MPH, AACRN
Secretary, Board of Directors

Rolland "Boomer" Bojo
Board Member

Lawrence H. Bopp, PhD
Board Member

Constance Costley, BSEd, MS
Board Member

Daniel Grady, MS
Board Member

Susan Hoffner, MPH, MCHES
Board Member

Susan C. Koppenhaver, MPH
Board Member

Marc R. Mendelsohn, MPA
Board Member

Claire Parde, MS
Board Member
Affiliates

Marist College, recognized for excellence by U.S. News & World Report, Time, "The Princeton Review". and by "Barron's Best Buys in College Education", is noted for its leadership in the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. Marist is one of the leading colleges of the arts and sciences in the nation.

SUNY New Paltz Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP) is funded by the State Education Department and has as its mission the enhancement of the math, science, and technology skills of minority and low-income students from local high schools. Ultimately, its goal is to encourage these participating students to continue their education after graduation in the fields of mathematics, science, technology and/or the licensed professions where minorities are traditionally underrepresented.

Since opening our doors in 2007, the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine has been attracting students and training physicians who are committed to working to correct diversity disparities in our health care delivery system so physicians can best meet patient needs. The genuine desire to help people carries over into the way the faculty and students interact as a community.

Clinical Education Initiative (CEI), a New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute program, offers progressive continuing medical education to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists to enhance their capacity to deliver high quality healthcare services and to improve patient health outcomes. We offer free, CE accredited, online and live trainings, conferences, intensive preceptorships, clinical technical assistance (TA) and tools, on HIV Primary Care and Prevention, Sexual Health, Hepatitis C treatment and Drug User Health.

The mission of the New York State Association of Rural Health (NYSARH) is to improve the health and well-being of rural New Yorkers and their communities. NYSARH functions as the “voice for rural health.” It is a statewide organization advocating for the health of rural New Yorkers. NYSARH advocates at the national and state levels on behalf of its membership.

The Institute for Family Health is a mission-driven health organization with a rich history and expert leadership. Since 1983 we have grown from a small non-profit with four staff members to one of the largest community health centers in New York State, serving over 115,000 patients annually at 30 locations.

ERH is a non-profit, community focused hospital based in New York’s Hudson Valley. We support our local community with health, wellness, specialty services and readily available diagnostic testing. We are centrally located for residents in surrounding areas to access our subacute rehabilitation programs, specialists and ambulatory services.

For more than 80 years, Margaretville Hospital has provided comprehensive medical services to the residents of Delaware, Greene, Ulster and Schoharie counties. Our fully accredited, 15-bed critical access hospital offers patients immediate access to the best care available. Whether you need — emergency care, ambulatory care services, laboratory testing, medical imaging, physical and occupational therapy, swing bed rehabilitation programs, respite care, board certified specialist or wellness and education — Margaretville Hospital has a range of services to meet the needs of our community without you having to drive miles away to access quality care.

UHS Delaware Valley Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving Walton, NY with emergency care and medical clinic services. We offer a wide range of the diagnostic and treatment services, as well as acute care. Specialized departments within the Walton hospital include a 24-hour Emergency Care Department, the medical patient wing, with cardiac monitoring beds, and an Addiction Treatment Program. Primary Care Centers in Walton, Downsville and Roscoe complement these services with first rate primary and preventive care close to home. Our staff of board certified, highly qualified physicians and allied health professionals have chosen to bring their skills to a rural area medical clinic in Walton, often from major metropolitan facilities.

The Mount’s School of Nursing is dedicated to training future nurses, instilling in them not just the practical skills needed to care for others, but also the values that turn caregivers into heroes. Our state-of-the-art simulation labs and clinical experiences beginning in sophomore year are crucial in developing your nursing expertise, but we think your experiences helping run our life-saving blood drives and Fuzzy Friends clinics will be just as beneficial in training you in compassionate care of others.

Catskills Addiction Coalition: Community engagement, outreach, and collaboration is at the core of our strategy. We invest heavily in supporting the development of creative solutions to address disconnection in area youth and improve access to treatment and recovery services in the Catskills Region.

The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) is a multi-year initiative that addresses barriers to treatment for substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD). It works toward the HHS goal of ending the opioid epidemic. RCORP is supported through HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

E5 Support Services, LLC is a professional staffing, training, consulting, and billing agency for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) stations and Volunteer Fire Departments. Our dedication to the highest levels of emergency care is what drives us each and every day. Since our founding in 2010, we continue to grow and currently serve 12 agencies throughout New York, from the Capital region to the Canadian border, and out to the Southern tier, as well.

Mobile Life Support Services, Inc. is a privately-owned, commercial ambulance service founded by Rick and Gayle Metzger in 1981. Dedicated to bringing the highest quality of mobile healthcare to the community, innovators Rick and Gayle started the company with only a couple of used ambulances and two additional staff members. Mobile Life has since grown to a staff of approximately 500 EMS professionals, a fleet of 73 ambulances and emergency response vehicles, and 24 stations across the Hudson Valley Region, including Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester counties. Serving a collective population of over 1,000,000 residents, our crews answer more than 100,000 calls per year.

Your Ulster County Department of Health and Mental Health offers a variety of services designed to help you and your family prevent and, in some cases, treat physical and mental illness and disease; prepare for natural and man-made disasters and emergencies; consume healthy and clean food and water from food service establishments and community water systems and obtain other important information related to your overall health and well-being.

We are a private, not-for-profit foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the residents of the greater Harlem Valley in New York and the northern Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. To accomplish our mission, we make grants, conduct research, provide technical assistance, and support collaborations and advocacy.

The purpose of this organization is to serve the Hispanic community, professional registered nurses and nursing students, in an effort to promote the Hispanic presence in society. A commitment to fostering research, academic activities for the membership and continued advancement of Hispanic health care and culture is the focus of the NAHN-NY CHAPTER.

The New York State Association of School Nurses (NYSASN) is the professional organization representing the specialty practice of school nursing in New York State. NYSASN was founded in 1986 by a grass roots group of school nurses who were dedicated in their vision to enhance the practice of school nursing.
Copyright
Except for materials prepared by other organizations and licensed to CHAHEC or taken from public sources, all text, artwork, graphics and other works of authorship created by or for CHAHEC and made part of this web site, together with the selection, arrangement and presentation of such materials, are protected copyrights of CHAHEC. Our copyright notice is set forth here:
Copyright (c) 2010 – 2022 Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center, Inc. All rights reserved.