Our Mission

The mission of the Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island Area Health Education Center (BQLI AHEC) is to improve healthcare outcomes in underserved areas through the development of education, mentoring, and training programs to increase the pool of skilled providers that will service underserved communities.

Activities/Strategies:

Encouraging local youth from underrepresented and disadvantaged minority backgrounds to pursue health careers through the development of mentorship, training, and workforce opportunities.
Building and fostering collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations, hospitals, and schools.
Developing a network of health and education resources to foster collaboration, share information, and promote health professions education to the targeted communities.
Participating in joint advocacy efforts to increase the number of skilled health professionals in underserved communities with the goal of improving health care outcomes.

Since its inception in 2003, BQLI AHEC has exposed over 5,000 middle, high school, and college students to challenging, rewarding careers in medicine, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, health education, health care administrative and support services, and emergency care. Youth ages 13-21 have learned about health professions through workshops, job shadowing, facility tours, structured internships, and ongoing mentorship.

Community Partners

Advisory Council for Career & Technical Education
Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health
Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center
Brooklyn Borough Presidents Office
The Brooklyn Hospital Center
Brownsville Multi-Service Center
Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, (CNR)
Children’s Aid Society
Housing Works
Institute for Family Health
Kings County Hospital
Kingsborough Community College Tech Prep Program
Liberty Partnership Program, Kingsborough
Community College
Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
Maimonides Medical Center
Mercy Hospital
Nassau University Medical Center
New York City Technical College, CUNY
New York School of Osteopathic Medicine, (NYCOM)
New York Urban League
NYC DOE Health Careers Educational Advisory Commission
NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn
NYU Langone Hospital Long Island
Queens Hospital Center
SUNY Downstate Medical Center, School of Public Health
SUNY Downstate Medical Center, College Of Health Related Professions
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

NYC Schools

Academy for Health Careers
Adelphi University
Archbishop Molloy
August Martin High School
Baldwin Senior High School
Beach Channel High School
Benjamin N. Cardozo high school
Boys and Girls High School
Brooklyn Friends School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Clara Barton High School
CUNY Hunter
Curtis High SchoolEdward R Murrow
Excelsior Preparatory High School
Francis Lewis high School
Freeport High School
High school for Arts and Business
High school for Enterprise, Business, and Technology
High School for Public Service
High School for Youth and Community Development
High School Medical Professions
Hillcrest High school
Howard University
Intermediate School 109
John Dewey High School
Lawrence High School
Lawrence Woodmere Academy

Long Island Lutheran Middle & High School
Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
Medgar Evers College
New York Institute of Technology
Queens Gateway
Roosevelt High School
Sheepshead Bay High School
St. Mary’s High School
State University at Oneonta
Stony Brook University
Stuyvesant High School
The Hill School
The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice
Uniondale Senior High School
W.A.T.C.H. High School
Williamsburg Charter High school
Wilton High School

Board Members

Hazel Sanderson-Marcoux, RN, EdD (Board Chair)
Former Associate Dean and Associate Professor
Long Island University Brooklyn Center
School of Nursing

Tanisha Dorvil, MS (Vice Chair)
Intensive Reading Interventionist
NYC DOE

Stacy Gropack, PT, PhD, FASAHP (Treasurer)
Dean
School of Health Professions
SUNY Stony Brook

Jessica Varghese, PhD, RN (Secretary)
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Director, RN to BS Program
New York Institute of Technology

Janet A. Williams, DNP, MSM, CNM
Midwife
CEO of Transitions Women’s Health Consulting

Stephanie Freeman, MSN-Ed, RN
RN, Owner and CEO
Freeman Health Equity Solutions, LLC dab
Kaleidoscope Healthcare Communications

Kelynne J. Edmond-Oristel, RN BC, MS, GNP APRN-BC, DMin
Director of Nursing CTE Instructor
NYC DOE

Cynthia Sterling-Fox, PhD
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York

Staff

Richard Merchant
CEO

Christina DeLorenzo
CFO

Nicholas Chun
Interim Center Director

Christen Aldrich
Administration and Communications Manager

Ashleigh McGowan
VP of Innovation and Design

Kris Merchant
Director of Projects

Ben Aldrich
Director of Technology and Data Security

Tasnim Islam
Sustainable Impact Coordinator

Message from the Center Director

In response to the growing healthcare provider shortage impacting the quality of patient care throughout New York State, the Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island Area Health Education Center is working to strengthen healthcare outcomes in underserved areas by working closely with both health career students and professionals. Our organization aims to develop a skilled and knowledgeable health care work force that is equipped to serve individuals of various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island regions.

The Brooklyn-Queens-Long Island Area Health Education Center offers a range of programs and is always open to developing new partnerships with medical, educational, and community organizations. We would love to speak more about our programs with you and discuss ways in which you can play an active role in supporting our mission.

Please contact us with any questions, inquiries, or concerns.

Best,

Nicholas Chun
Interim Center Director
Brooklyn Queens Long Island
Area Health Education Center