AHEC welcomes two new health careers coordinators

The Northeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center (NE KY AHEC) is excited to welcome two new health careers coordinators to its growing staff, effective Aug. 22.

Hannah (Hunley) Little will lead the NE KY AHEC’s pre-college programming, including classroom presentations, the high school Rural Health Scholars program, and various health careers camps. She is a 2020 graduate of Morehead State University with a major in Business Administration.

“As a lifelong resident of eastern Kentucky, I recognize the importance of the availability of quality health care in our communities,” Little said. “I look forward to using my education, skills, and experiences to help make a difference in our region by informing young students about what the Northeast Kentucky AHEC can offer them.”

Little lives in Morehead with her husband, Garrett, a third-year medical student with the University of Kentucky’s Rural Physician Leadership Program. Her hobby outside of work is playing the piano – and she plans to learn to play multiple instruments in the future.

Lakyn Newcomb will oversee the NE KY AHEC’s development of a nursing pipeline (from nursing careers exposure for high school students, to providing supports to nursing students during their clinical training, to facilitating employment linkages to the region’s clinics, hospitals, and other health care facilities). She is a 2018 graduate of Morehead State University with a major in Health Promotion. Prior to joining the NE KY AHEC, Newcomb was the patient services coordinator for MSU’s student clinic.

“Being from Eastern Kentucky myself, I understand many of the challenges that folks may face when pursuing a career, especially in the medical field,” Newcomb said. “The Northeast Kentucky AHEC offers a multitude of resources and experiences to make the transition from student to employment much more accessible to the people of this region and I look forward to assisting everyone along the way.”

Newcomb lives in Morehead with her dog Bentley and ginger-cat Rufus and in her free time also enjoys exploring the beautiful area she has come to know as home.

Little and Newcomb join Lead Health Careers Coordinator Whitney Cornette, who oversees college-focused health careers initiatives, to give the NE KY AHEC a talented health careers promotion team. In addition, two health careers-focused educational assistants will join the team in September. These positions and related activities are being supported by increased funding for which the NE KY AHEC advocated during the 2022 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.