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Karen O’Rourke, MPH, deputy director of the UNE’s Center for Community and Public Health (CCPH) has been named the new director of the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network, a part of CCPH, as of September 1, 2012.

O’Rourke will also continue to be the outreach coordinator for Practical Experiences Course with the Graduate Program in Public Health (also a part of CCPH) as well as with other public health workforce training programs.

O’Rourke will lead the Network in continuing to develop and implement strategies to recruit individuals from under-represented minority populations and from disadvantaged or rural backgrounds into the health professions.

Gail Dana-Sacco, Ph.D., will continue to be involved with the AHEC Network as the executive director and principal investigator (PI).  Dana-Sacco also holds a tenure track position as assistant professor with the Graduate Program in Public Health.

Maryfrances Smith, the former coordinator of the Maine AHEC Network’s Program Office, has been promoted to program manager of the Model Leadership Program with the Maine AHEC Network.

Joining the Maine AHEC Network’s Program Office is Arielle Feger, who serves as administrative assistant.  Her time and talents are shared with the Healthy Maine Partnership program under the CCPH department.