All PATCHed Up: Working with Providers

Our PATCH Teen Educators (TEs) started 2023 off strong conducting two PATCH for Providers workshops for over 100 future healthcare providers! PATCH stands for Providers and Teens Communicating for Health and offers workshops for both healthcare providers and teens.

In provider workshops, TEs share their knowledge of teen healthcare experiences with current and future healthcare providers. Teen patients face many barriers to receiving quality, equitable healthcare at what is often a vulnerable time in their lives. Our Teen Educators are empowering providers by breaking down communication barriers, providing them with strategies to build positive relationships with their patients and prepare them to manage their care on their own. How awesome is that?!

Thank you to Dr. Dian Wells from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine for bringing PATCH to speak with your first-year dental students! We enjoyed an enriching and engaging conversation, and hope to be back again next year.

PATCH also had the pleasure of providing the same workshop to our very own AHEC

Scholars in January. Our AHEC Scholars team consists of an interdisciplinary group of health professions students, many of whom are future physicians and nurses.

After an impressive start to 2023, PATCH Teen Educators look forward to a busy spring of both teen and provider workshops. Follow along with our TEs on Erie Niagara AHEC's social media!

If you are interested in scheduling a workshop for your youth group or provider practice, email btranello@erieniagaraahec.org.