DETROIT— The Southeast Regional Center of the Michigan Area Health Education Center recently named Jenifer “Joie” West to serve as executive director. In this role, West will plan, organize, direct, and evaluate all aspects of the Southeast Regional Center, including financial administration, program planning and development, personnel management, fundraising, public relations, and marketing.
Established by Wayne State University in 2010, MI-AHEC strengthens the state’s health care workforce by recruiting, training, and retaining health professionals committed to increasing access to primary care. Through a statewide network of regional centers, MI-AHEC prepares underrepresented and disadvantaged youth for health care careers, promotes clinical training opportunities for students in shortage areas and provides continuing education programs for health professionals. The Southeast Regional Center services more than five million people in nine counties: Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne. Congress created the national AHEC program in 1971.
Since 1987, West has held a number of positions in health care, human services, community relations, and government affairs, including vice president of government relations and business development for Strategic Health Care; government and physician relations specialist for St. Joseph Healthcare (now Henry Ford Macomb Health); and director of community and corporate services for Mount Clemens General Hospital. Most recently, she served as a program instructor at Michigan State University’s Macomb County extension, where she provided nutrition and physical activity education to more than 500 low-income youth, seniors, and families through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. West also briefly served as director of public affairs at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
A resident of and an elected official in Clinton Township, West earned a bachelor of science degree in medical technology and a master of science degree in anatomy from the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. She serves on several boards, including the Macomb Health and Fitness Foundation, Leadership Macomb, and Healthier Macomb Fitness Council.
