American Health Dispatch
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Current Fellows
Adolescent Health
William “Lamont” Dupree
Bloomberg Fellow
William “Lamont” Dupree serves as the Executive Director of the North Alabama Area Health Education Center (NAAHEC) based in Huntsville, Alabama. Throughout his career, he has engaged with youth in various capacities, including as a high school science teacher, youth ministries director, and a trainer for adolescent youth and youth workers. In his current role, Lamont focuses on promoting health equity and expanding access to healthcare for rural and underserved populations. A key goal involves empowering the next generation of healthcare workers by exposing them early to the needs of their communities. Using a social determinants of health framework, North Alabama AHEC offers career exploration programs and leadership training for K-12 and college-aged students. Lamont is also actively involved in training youth to become community health workers and effective advocates for their peers and families.
North Alabama AHEC is a nonprofit agency that is a part of a nationwide network of AHEC organizations. Its mission is to enhance healthcare accessibility, quality, and equity across rural and historically underserved communities in its thirteen-county service areas. The organization strives to empower and grow the healthcare workforce and community health worker team through comprehensive training, resources, and advocacy. Whether it is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing veteran suicide, or helping students on the healthcare career pathway, NAAHEC seeks to fill gaps in the delivery of health care and to meet the unique needs of each community. Collaboration, community partners, and collective impact are keys to meeting its mission.