National AHEC Week, from March 24 to March 28, 2025, offers an opportunity to recognize the significant contributions of Area Health Education Centers nationwide. At Northwest AHEC, we're proud to celebrate this week by highlighting our ongoing efforts to improve healthcare delivery in our 17-county region.
Each year, the Because We Care Workshop provides a meaningful space for healthcare professionals and caregivers to explore the complexities of grief and renewal. Now in its 28th year, this workshop, Honoring Loss, Renewing Strength: A Workshop on Keepsakes and Compassion Fatigue, offers valuable insights into bereavement support, sibling grief, and the impact of keepsakes in the healing process. 
Additionally, it addresses the challenges of compassion fatigue and burnout, equipping attendees with practical strategies for self-care and resilience. Join us on May 1, 2025, at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, for a day of learning, connection, and renewal.
Register now
May 1-3, 2025 | Renaissance® Asheville Downtown Hotel
31 Woodfin Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801
The goal of this conference is to enhance the health care professional's understanding of current management techniques in providing care to the high-risk infant. Program brochure is available here with all the details!
Topics
Proactive Sepsis Management: Identifying and Addressing Early Symptoms- Providing Specialized Care for Substance-Exposed Infants
- Optimizing Feeding Strategies for High-Risk Newborns
- Building Resilience: Supporting Nurses in Managing Stress and Trauma
Credit
- 4.0 Contact Hours from Northwest AHEC
- 4.0 Nursing Contact Hours
Northwest AHEC is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Registration fee for the program will be $80 for Individual Rate and $70 for Group Rate (3 or more), please click here to register.
In today’s diverse world, effective communication is essential—especially in healthcare and community services, where language barriers can impact the quality of care and outcomes. If you’re an interpreter or looking to become one, our Interpreter Training Series at Northwest AHEC is the perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills and make a meaningful impact. Starts May 7th - Blended Format -Spots are limited, register early!.
Are you looking for convenient and effective ways to advance your knowledge and professional skills? Northwest Area Health Education Center (Northwest AHEC) has you covered with our comprehensive online learning! Check out our full list of online learning available this Spring HERE
Why Choose Northwest AHEC Online Learning?
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Flexible and Accessible
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Expert-Led Content
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Affordable Options - some no cost!
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Certificates and CE Credits
Featured Courses You Don’t Want to Miss
- The Ethics of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy - As mental health professionals, we have an ethical duty to treat our clients with dignity and to respect cultural differences, including those based on religion and spirituality. In this module we will explore how taking an integrative approach to mental health therapy can improve outcomes for our clients. $35 registration cost for this activity.
- Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder 2024-2026:New Strategies to Reduce Barriers to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Treatment - With a focus on what defines and frames low barrier care, this course reviews the spectrum of opioid use disorder treatment, from harm reduction, low barrier care, to comprehensive integrated care. There is a $20 registration fee for this program.
- Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder 2024-2026:‘New Strategies to Improve Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Planning’ - Strategies to improve OUD (opioid use disorder) treatment planning are discussed. Review of the overall role and scope of the Peer Support Specialist (PSS) and strategies to minimize and address diversion are highlighted. There is a $20 registration fee for this program.
- Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder 2024-2026: MOUD (Medication for Opioid Use Disorder): The Evidence is Compelling! - This course reviews the differences between Opioid Treatment Programs and Office-Based Opioid Therapy. The impact the opioid epidemic and COVID have had on treatment guidelines, and the strength of evidence behind treatment of the chronic condition that is opioid use disorder. There is a $20 registration fee for this program.
- Diabetes Performance Improvement in Primary Care - This educational activity aims to inform the learner about the status of diabetes and chronic kidney disease in primary care. This activity will explore barriers and facilitators to promote patient engagement in treatment. This activity will focus on performance improvement methods and activities which promote health among patients with diabetes. The first 100 registrations will be at no charge, supported by Division of Health Benefits grant funding. After that, registrations will be $10 each.
- Double Trouble: Diabetes and Falls - People with diabetes are at higher risk for falls. Etiologies include vision changes from retinopathy, damage to both peripheral and central nerves, side effects from medicines, and co-morbidities like osteoarthritis. Through use of a case study illustrating a familiar primary care patient encounter, learners will apply new knowledge, so they can anticipate and intervene appropriately in their work. An optional module on conducting the Diabetic Foot Exam is included. There is no charge for this online course. Course registration is generously supported by the Division of Health Benefits.
- Safe or Silent? This course presents the inter-relatedness of joy in work, burnout, safety, and silence in the healthcare setting, and the role that organizational 'just culture' has in optimizing clinician satisfaction and patient safety. This activity has no cost to participate.
The 39th Annual Northwest AHEC Respiratory Care Conference, held February 19-20, 2025, brought together 127 respiratory care professionals from six states (CA, FL, NC, SC, TN, TX) and 46 North Carolina counties for two days of education and professional development.
This year’s conference featured expert-led sessions on critical and emerging topics in respiratory care, including AI Use in Respiratory Care, Advancing Respiratory Therapy Practice and Professional Advocacy, Conundrums in PFT Interpretation, Pharmacology Updates for RTs, Pediatrics for RTs, ECMO Perspectives from Patient and Provider, HFNC, Long COVID and Pulmonary Fibrosis, Update in Advanced Diagnostic Bronchoscopy, From Primary Care to Sleep Medicine: The Expanding Role of Respiratory Therapists, and GOLD 2025 Updates.
With a strong emphasis on advancements in technology, clinical practice and interdisciplinary collaboration, the conference provided respiratory therapists with valuable insights and practical applications to enhance patient care.
The event continues to be a resource for professional development, offering respiratory therapists opportunities to expand their knowledge and stay at the forefront of the evolving field.
We can't wait until next year!
Special thanks to our planning committee members and NWAHEC staff who work to make this conference a success!
Two recent guests on our Healthcare Insights in Northwest North Carolina podcast share their expertise, experience, and insights into headaches and headache research and treatment.
As we age, maintaining good health goes beyond just doctor visits—it’s about nurturing our minds, bodies, and overall well-being. That’s why Northwest AHEC is proud to offer the 2025 Aging Well Conference , a program designed to empower healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools to support aging individuals in leading healthier, more fulfilling lives. Learn all about the program on our website.
This activity focuses on advancing the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers in rural western North Carolina, particularly in geriatric care, addressing the unique healthcare needs of older adults. With a blend of individual and group presentations, panel discussions, and demonstrations, the activity brings together diverse perspectives of healthcare experts, researchers, government officials, social service providers, as well as older adults and family caregivers.
Two options for Basic Fetal Monitoring - In Person in the Fall or Live Webinar in the Spring. These programs will introduce basic fetal monitoring principles to the new perinatal nurse.
