One of the Keys’ most vital pediatric healthcare options is celebrating a rebirth, of sorts.
Keys Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) isn’t going anywhere, CEO Michael Cunningham told the Weekly, and neither are its longstanding initiatives for adults, including tobacco cessation, its opioid program and continuing education for medical professionals, among others.
But the group that’s become known for ensuring kids’ teeth are in tip-top shape with its friendly dental van parked outside Monroe County schools will shift its pediatric medical and dental services to a new name: Keys Kids Health Centers.
“As we started to do more community outreach and fundraising, people would always ask, ‘Well, what is AHEC?’” said Cunningham. “We’d say, ‘well, it’s the Area Health Education Center.’ The next question was, ‘What’s that?’ When we talk about Keys Kids Health Centers, that’s pretty self-explanatory.”
The partial rebrand comes with refreshed graphics and logos for the group’s informational literature, website and dental van – all in an effort to catch the eyes of parents and get more kids through the door of AHEC’s affordable offerings – just a $10 fee for many dental visits.
“Now that we say ‘Hey, we have a health center in the schools,’ that sticks better with the patients and the parents, it’s easier to market and easier to talk to investors, donors, grants and contracts,” said Cunningham.
During the 2024-25 school year, the organization saw 1,468 new patients in its medical clinic for 5,965 total visits, paired with 899 new dental patients for 4,146 visits. Most of the families served are from low- or moderate-income homes that may not be able to otherwise afford quality healthcare. According to AHEC’s annual report, 55.5% of patients were uninsured while 43.7% received Medicaid benefits.
“This will streamline the process of getting information about the 10 primary care centers and our full dentistry program,” Cunningham said. “It will take you directly to the health centers, bypassing some of the traditional core AHEC programming. We have primary care, full dentistry with restorative treatment, and our new EKG program for student-athletes.”
For more information, including full clinic availability, visit keysahec.org.
