The Border Health Education Network (BHEN) is a San Diego Border Health Education Training Center (HETC) funded by HRSA, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Numerous other funding agencies including The California Endowment (TCE), and the Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation and Development (ALO) through USAID also provide funding support to BHEN. The BHEN/HETC which is based at the University of California, San Diego, is a community-based partnership program involving numerous binational organizations including the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), the Border Health Initiative of Project Concern International (PCI), the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission (USMBHC), and the California Office of Binational Border Health (COBBH). Detailed information about partner organizations and funding resources are provided on this Website.

The Border Health Education Network operates with the basic understanding that within the California/Baja California binational region, disease does not recognize geographical boundaries. For example, diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, hepatitis A and B, AIDS, environmental health issues, and maternal and child health issues affect people throughout the region, some of whom cross the border on a frequent basis. The objectives of the Network are to create a cross-border affiliation of healthcare professionals to:

UCSD medical student delivering healthcare services to the indigenous population of San Quintin, Baja California.

• Share information that is of benefit to practitioners and public health advocates on both sides of the border.
• Learn about binational resources and protocols.
• Improve skills and capabilities.
• Develop relationships and cooperative mechanisms to address healthcare needs in the border region.
• Create a stable pool of trained practitioners who will work together to develop more extensive cross-border education and training programs over time.

The Network's education system offers health topics for practitioners such as HIV/AIDS- TB prevention and treatment, trauma response and emergency management, and substance abuse prevention.

Binational healthcare issues are often "seamless" and hence collaboration and sharing of resources and information is critical to the promotion of health in the region.