AHEC Scholars bring health, dental resources to Apache Junction community

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Doctoral student Diyana Ahmad, who grew up in Kurdistan in northern Iraq and has worked for the United Nations in many countries, thought she had seen it all. Then she visited Apache Junction, Arizona, a community 35 miles east of Phoenix, and saw a man on horseback in the drive-thru line at Starbucks. It was a memorable introduction to the uniqueness of working in rural health care in Arizona.

For the past two years, Ahmad has led a team of future health care professionals on a mission to improve health care access in Apache Junction through the Arizona AHEC Scholars Program, part of the Arizona Area Health Education Centers, or Arizona AHEC.

Arizona AHEC, administered by  University of Arizona Health Sciences, is part of a national AHEC program that was developed by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train and retain a health professions workforce committed to underserved populations. The AHEC program helps bring the resources of academic medicine to address local community health needs.

“When we visited and told people in the Apache Junction community that we were students there to find out what they needed, they were very excited,” said Ahmad, who is in her third-year as a Doctor of Pharmacy student at the U of A R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. “They told us that people usually come to take something from them, not give something back. We felt proud to know that they truly valued what we were there to do.”

Taking a community-centered approach

The Arizona AHEC Scholars program brings together students from Arizona public universities — the U of A, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University – who are pursuing health care degrees, including pharmacy, medicine, physician assistant, physical therapy, nurse practitioner and public health. They form teams and are assigned to a specific community to gain practical experience and address local health care needs.

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Ahmad’s journey into the AHEC Scholars Program was driven by her passion for serving communities in need. The program provided her with the opportunity to participate in a project that would have a tangible impact on the community.

“Our first immersions in Apache Junction were about learning the community,” Ahmad said. “We visited schools, clinics and supermarkets, speaking with residents to understand their most pressing health concerns. Over and over, we heard about the lack of dental care and the financial barriers preventing people from getting the treatment they needed.”

In addition to community input, the team utilized resources such as the latest U.S. Census data to better understand the community. They found Apache Junction to be a growing city with a large elderly population and limited access to essential health care services. In the final assessment, dental health emerged as a critical need, compounded by financial constraints, lack of affordable services and a high percentage of uninsured residents. Falls among older adults and chronic health conditions were also prevalent concerns.

Dental health was not an area of expertise for many on the team, Ahmad included. 

“It was very unique for dental care to stand out as a critical need because I’m trying to be a physician, I don’t really do much with teeth,” said Kevin Ball, who is in the MD/MPH program at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix. “I know a lot about bones, but very little about teeth; however, that’s what the community needed.”

The team turned to dental experts, including dental students from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona, who discussed affordable dental care options available through their university. The presentation provided valuable insights into potential resources and strategies for addressing the dental care gap identified in the community assessment.

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In addition to the in-person immersions that brought the team from across the state together in Apache Junction, they met monthly via Zoom to plan and problem solve. They were joined by faculty mentors, Carol Moffett, DNP, PhD, and Judith Ochieng, DNP, PhD, both nurse practitioners and faculty members at Arizona State University. 

Strengthening the future of rural health care

In response to feedback, the students decided to incorporate screenings and educational resources on fall prevention, chronic disease management and substance abuse recovery by collaborating with Horizon Health and Wellness. After months of planning and outreach, the Apache Junction Health and Dental Fair at Horizon Health and Wellness took place in January 2025.  

“We set up booths covering various health topics,” Ahmad explained. “Pharmacy and physician assistant students provided blood pressure and glucose checks, physical therapy students led fall prevention education, medical and nursing students offered general health information, and dental students educated attendees on oral health and provided referrals for affordable treatment. We also had a pharmacist available at a pharmacy booth.”

The event featured resources from recovery programs, local libraries, and Medicaid representatives. 

“One of the most meaningful moments for me was hearing from the chief of police,” Ahmad said. “He told us this was the first time he had seen something like this in Apache Junction and that he was proud of what we were doing.”

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For many students, including Ball, the fair underscored the importance of interprofessional collaboration. The event provided him with a hands-on learning opportunity that highlighted how different health disciplines must work together to address community needs.

“Interprofessional education is something we talk about a lot in medical school, but AHEC gave me the chance to truly experience it,” Ball said. “None of us were experts in everything, but we leveraged each other’s knowledge and skills to put on this clinic. Working with pharmacy students, physical therapists, and dental students showed me just how much we rely on one another.”

Beyond the immediate impact on the community, the fair provided students with practical experience that will shape their future careers. 

“It’s one thing to read about health disparities, but it’s another to be in the field, talking to people, and seeing the direct impact of your work,” Ball said.

The team’s work is set to be presented at the upcoming AHEC conference in April, where they will share their findings and encourage future cohorts to build on their efforts.

“This experience has changed how I see my future in pharmacy,” Ahmad said. “I don’t just want to work in a pharmacy, I want to be involved in public health efforts that address gaps in care and make a difference in all communities.

Through their two-year program, the AHEC Scholars not only provided valuable health resources to Apache Junction residents but also demonstrated the lasting impact of interprofessional education. Their work exemplifies the mission of the AHEC program: training the next generation of health professionals to serve where they are needed most.