TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Better healthcare access is in the works for rural areas across Arizona as $7.2 million is heading to the University of Arizona’s Area Health Education Centers Program over the next five years.

AHEC has been around for almost 40 years with a focus on expanding healthcare in rural and underserved communities.

According to census.gov, Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the entire country but the number of healthcare professionals to care for those people isn’t growing.

Officials say they want to see more healthcare professionals get to and stay in those rural areas and they add that by providing this training and resources - the program is working.

“We started a couple years ago a loan repayment program for individuals that are going to the college of medicine Phoenix or college of medicine Tucson. They can get their tuition and fees paid for in exchange for when they finish training, coming back and working in a healthcare professional shortage area whether that’s an urban underserved area or a rural underserved area,” Dan Derksen, associate vice president for health services, said.

This grant is coming from the Health Resources and Services Administration, and Derksen said this is not just for those already in the medical profession but also for those as young as kindergarteners who can get involved and for more information you can click here.