On Jan. 23, 2026, organizations across the country will observe Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day™, a meaningful day dedicated to honoring the exceptional individuals who ensure health care providers remain informed, skilled and prepared to deliver outstanding patient care.

Continuing education professionals play a vital role in shaping the future of health care. Through the development and delivery of high-quality educational programs, they promote lifelong learning, support professional growth and contribute directly to improved health outcomes. The Area Health Education Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KU AHEC) is honored to join in this campaign to recognize continuing education professionals whose dedication and expertise empower providers with the knowledge and tools needed to meet the evolving demands of patient care.

KU AHEC aims to provide high-quality continuing education to rural health care professionals throughout the state of Kansas. Within communities where time, staffing and distance can make professional development challenging, KU AHEC brings learning directly to those on the front lines of care. Whether through in-person events, virtual programming or hybrid models, our dedicated team ensures that Kansas providers can access relevant, evidence-based education without leaving their communities behind.

Working Together to Serve Kansas

The Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development at KU Medical Center is an essential partner in this work, collaborating closely with KU AHEC to expand access to high-quality, accredited education across the state. While AHEC focuses on reaching rural and underserved communities, Continuing Education focuses on KU Medical Center and The University of Kansas Health System.

Together, our two offices share a commitment to lifelong learning, interprofessional education and strengthening Kansas’s health care workforce by supporting one another and working toward the same goals. Our Joint Accreditation status strengthens our work by allowing us to offer continuing education for a wide range of disciplines through a single, coordinated system. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and many other health care providers can learn together, reflecting the team-based nature of real-world health care. This interprofessional approach improves communication, strengthens collaboration, and ultimately leads to better patient outcomes across rural Kansas.

Recognizing Exceptional Service

Despite working from offices in Pittsburg, Hays, Kansas City, and beyond, the KU AHEC staff functions as a unified team. Strong communication and a shared mission keep everyone aligned and moving forward together.

Program Director Kelly Sabol in the Pittsburg office and Program Administrator Nikki Cooper in Hays guide the team’s work. Supporting every accredited activity is Continuing Education Coordinator Karen Aufdemberge in Wamego. Together, they keep KU AHEC’s programs compliant, high-quality and seamlessly accredited for multiple professions.

Niki Dinkel and Melissa Wasinger do the same vital work for western Kansas in Hays. They build relationships across a vast rural region, bringing education to communities that might otherwise have limited access to professional development. Their work directly supports retention, confidence and excellence among rural health care professionals.

All the way in Iowa, Teri Kennedy, AHEC strategic consultant and Kansas 4M project director and principal investigator, brings statewide vision and strategic leadership that helps align KU AHEC’s continuing education with broader workforce and age-friendly initiatives.

In Pittsburg, Mark Bolinger and Jacob Teats work closely with hospitals, clinics, educators, and community partners to identify local needs and develop education that truly serves frontline providers, while Tina Garetson works to build the future health care workforce that will one day rely on continuing education. Brett Lyerla provides design and marketing support for each program as well as the AHEC social media platforms (“Check AHEC!”).

At its core, this celebration is about people working together to support learning and care across Kansas. KU AHEC is grateful for the opportunity to serve and learn alongside the many dedicated health care providers in our state, and we are honored to play a small part in helping them continue the important work they do every day.