South Carolina AHEC builds and supports the healthcare workforce South Carolina needs through a focus on recruiting, retaining, and educating healthcare professionals. South Carolina AHEC connects students and professionals with the tools, training, and resources necessary to provide quality healthcare, with a focus on primary care for rural and underserved communities. The South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (South Carolina AHEC) began in 1972 as one of the 11 originally funded projects of the federal AHEC program. We have successfully grown into a system that works closely with the state's institutions of higher education, healthcare providers, community partners and others to educate, recruit, and retain healthcare providers in South Carolina. Today the South Carolina AHEC System consists of one program office and four regional AHEC centers.