College of Medicine

June 2011

The College of Medicine AHEC program learned this month that it is one of the country’s best in training experts who treat people for tobacco dependence.

The program has received national accreditation through the Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence for its course titled Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training: 3-Day Foundation. 

“FSU AHEC is now one of only five programs in the nation that have achieved this accreditation,” said Andrée Aubrey, AHEC program director at Florida State University. Included among the five are the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

“AHEC” stands for Area Health Education Center. Its mission is to create community and academic partnerships to improve the health of underserved communities. The Florida AHEC Network comprises the five AHEC programs administered by Florida medical schools and 10 community-based centers serving the state’s 67 counties. FSU’s Program Office is in the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health, Division of Health Affairs.

“The Tobacco Treatment Specialist: 3-Day Foundation course was created with the goal of training the health-professions workforce and retaining tobacco contract dollars within Florida,” Aubrey said. “Before this course was developed, the AHECs, rural hospitals and other tobacco-services providers were using out-of-state training programs, primarily UMDNJ in New Jersey.

“Graduates of the course are well-prepared to deliver clinical and community-based cessation services; train other staff in evidence-based interventions; implement systems-level changes in their organizations; and, most important, champion improved access and treatment for tobacco dependency.”

Aubrey acknowledged the funding support and technical assistance from the Department of Health’s Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program. She also saluted the work of the FSU AHEC team: Mary Dailey, assistant AHEC director; Karen Geletko; Chenikka Usher; and Les Beitsch, associate dean for health affairs. 

 “Congratulations on excellent service and training,” wrote Shawn O’Brien, of the Center for Credentialing and Education, in a letter informing FSU AHEC of its accreditation. “We appreciate your commitment to public health.”

To find out more about FSU AHEC’s training, visit http://med.fsu.edu/ahec/tobaccoTreatment or  http://www.facebook.com/pages/FSU-AHEC-Program-Tobacco-Treatment-Specialist-Training/172209656165434