National AHEC Organization
2010 Annual Conference
Las Vegas NV
June 23, 2010
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Mary Mitchell, Executive Director,
Manhattan-Staten Island AHEC.
Susan Moreland, Executive Director,
Northern Louisiana AHEC.
Richard Kiovsky M.D., Program Director,
Indiana AHEC Program.
Richard Perry, Program Director, Oklahoma
AHEC Program.
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Purpose of Survey
Introduction of Panel and First Thoughts
Survey Results
Group Breakout
Groups Report Back
Open Discussion and Next Steps
Responses = 89
Only 38% Response Rate
CD Tenure = 52% less than 5 years
Almost normal bell-shaped curve
Years Center Established:
75% > 5 years
55% > 10 years
Different response rates affected
by # years Center in existence
Center Structure:
501c3 = 53%
Hosted = 47%
Challenges often reflect type of
Center Structure
Challenges in Relationship with Program Office =
wide range, but a few issues predominate (> 50%
of respondents.
Revenue and Fundraising for Center
Revenue and Fundraising for State
Challenges not the same as the areas that require interaction
Few Challenges identified by Center Directors
Issues Requiring “Regular Interaction” with
Program Office (> 50% or respondents)
Technical Assistance/Data
Program Outcomes (Deliverables)
Legislative Advocacy
Program Planning
Progress Reports
Contract Management
Renewal Applications
< 2 yrs. Experience
2-10 yrs Experience
11+ yrs Experience
Program Planning
Program Outcomes
Legislative Advocacy
Boards
TA – Data
Program Reports
Networking
Renewal Applications
Fundraising Centers
Fundraising Centers
Developmental Issues
Operational Issues
System Issues
Challenges in relationship with PO increases with CD
experience, especially in Operational and System issues
Interaction Increases
Interaction Decreases
Renewal Application*
Program Planning*
Legislative Advocacy*
Budget Management~
Fundraising State~
Capacity Building~
Progress Reports~
Boards~
Program Outcomes~
Networking~
State Focus
Center Focus
(Clearly *
Trending ~)
Most Frequently Mentioned “Difficult Problems:
Lack of Common/Stable Set of
Priorities
22%
Mentioned multiple times – how
do we solve this issue?
Instability of Funding
Re-authorization of $125 M is
critical – do our legislators know?
Lack of Involvement/Leadership
from Program Office
Why?
Lack of Communication and
Punctuality of Information
Any best practices on this issue?
A number of CD expressed
skepticism about truthfulness of
survey responses & security
How does NAO encourage and
support openness?
No challenges currently
Rare, but good!
16%
“The Program Office wants to develop a system to distribute funds to
the centers – problem is there is no method that is equitable. Holding
new AHEC centers to higher standards than older ones just doesn’t
work”
“Program Directors over the last 10 years have increasingly become
more part-time, about 40% FTE. However, they often devote about 15%
real time to the AHEC Program. At this time, we need committed
leaders more than ever”
“It’s very difficult to serve 2 masters! As a non-profit 501c 3 with
dwindling state and federal support, it’s very difficult to meet the
mandates of the Statewide program submission at both the State and
Federal levels.”
Program Office views relationship as top/down vs. collegial. Centers
view PO relationship as support”
Responses = 43
83% Response Rate
PD Tenure = 52% <5 Years
24% >10 Years
Turn-over rate an issue
Years PO in Existence = 75% > 10 Yrs
AHEC Longevity
PD Previous CD Experience: 79% NO
PD Previous AHEC Staff:
79% NO
What does this mean?
Program Office Structure:
501c 3:
30%
Hosted:
26%
Mixed:
44%
Each creates own set of
challenges
Challenges in Relationship with Centers
Statewide Revenue and fundraising:
Revenue/fundraising for CENTERS:
Program Outcomes (Deliverables/Perf. Meas):
Technical Assistance
Capacity Building (Board Dev. & Board Issues)
63%
54%
42%
37%
37%
Issues Requiring Regular Interaction with
Centers
Program Outcomes / Deliverables
Program Planning
Collaborations/Networking
Budget Management
Coordinating Progress Reports
Items seen as challenges are not those
requiring the most Interaction
81%
81%
79%
72%
72%
Most Frequently Mentioned “Difficult Problems”
Disagreement – Resistance to
Program Office Expectations or
Goals
34%
Communication?
Leadership Problems?
No contractual Requirements?
Center and Host Agendas in
conflict with Statewide Goals
What are the expectations –
criteria for host organizations?
Center dependence on PO to
secure Funding
Sustainability & Fund-raising,
are we Trained for this?
Center delay in getting invoices
to PO
29%
Multiple reasons?
“When a center is a 501c3, it takes the center board, center director, and
the program office to make it their top priority to work together.
Different agendas and accountability issues makes it hard to get things
accomplished.”
“Centers think they are the entire program, can do whatever they want,
and regard the PO as a nuisance.”
“Individual Centers do understand the larger picture of how the entire
program operates within the state, but not every center is on board.”
“Centers expect the PO to provide for most or all of their financial needs
and take variable responsibility for funding their own projects, don’t do
advance planning for sustainability of funding, programs and staff.”
No Prior AHEC Experience
Prior AHEC Experience
Program Outcomes
Budget Management
Program Planning
Program Outcomes
Networking
Program Planning
Technical Assistance – Data
Networking
Grant Writing
Progress Reports
75% of respondents
Very Little Difference
Rate 1-5,with 1 being “hands off” and 5
being “hands on,” the level of collaboration
your center/program has with your
program/centers on the following issues:
(%=very or somewhat “hands on”, rating 4 or 5)
Issue
Centers Program
Progress Reports
27%
65%
Revenue/Statewide
24%
62%
Federal/State Dollar Allocation
47%
62%
Issue
Center
Program
Provide Timely Information
37%
60%
Competitive Renewal
47%
59%
Program Outcomes
36%
58%
Technical Assistance (Data)
36%
56%
Legislative Advocacy
31%
53%
Contract Management
31%
46%
Collaboration/Networking
23%
45%
Grant Writing/Management
16%
43%
Issue
Center
Program
Revenue/Centers
24%
38%
Capacity Building
10%
31%
AHEC Boards
25%
30%
Budget and Budget Management
21%
30%
Program Office Staff
29%
na
Considerable Agreement by PD and CD as to what areas require
most regular interaction and most challenge in interaction
Areas requiring Regular Interaction are NOT the areas of most
Challenge
CD’s perspective over time change: Developmental, Operational and
Systemic
PD’s believe they are more collaborative in their interactions than
CD’s report
Little difference in PD perceptions of challenges and interactions
between those with or without prior AHEC experience
Low Response Rate by CD’s may skew results