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As the backbone of primary care, health centers deliver affordable, high-quality services to nearly 34 million people across the country and over 162,000 people in the Dakotas. Our strength lies in being rooted in rural, frontier, and high-need communities – allowing us to deeply understand and meet the unique needs of each community and patient we serve.
This is a critical moment.
September 30, 2025, marks the end of the federal fiscal year and yet another federal funding cliff. Both the mandatory Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), which is about 70% of health center funding, and annual discretionary funding, ~30% of federal funding, expire on September 30 unless Congress passes legislation that includes funding for health centers.
What’s at stake:
For years, health centers have been savvy about stretching flat federal funding while costs for staffing, supplies, and technology have steadily climbed. The flat funding and increased costs are causing health centers to operate on razor-thin or negative margins, limiting their ability to expand services, modernize facilities, and recruit
and retain high-quality staff.
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Health
Centers in the News
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Horizon Health was honored with the ACE Gold Status award from the National Association of Community Health Centers in August 2025.
Shannon Bacon, director of external affairs at CHAD, was quoted in a KVRR News story highlighting the importance of Medicaid reimbursements in sustaining rural health care access.
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Join CHAD for the 2025 Uniform Data System (UDS) training sessions on October 15 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm CT | 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm MT and October 16 from 1:00 – 4:30 pm CT | 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm MT. These free web-based trainings are designed to provide assistance in navigating and preparing the
2025 UDS report. This training is for people of all levels of prior UDS experience and covers all aspects of the UDS report. All financial, clinical, and administrative staff are invited to learn updates, hone reporting skills, and share questions and experiences with their peers.
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Apply
for the 2025 NHSC Students to Service
Loan Repayment Program
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Medical, nursing, and dental students in their final year can now apply for the 2025 NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program and receive up
to $120,000 in tax-free loan repayment. An additional $40,000 Maternity Care Target Area Supplemental Award is available for eligible physicians and certified nurse midwives. In exchange for a three-year service commitment, participants serve in high-need rural, tribal, or urban communities while reducing educational debt.
Deadline: Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 7:30 pm ET
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CMS
Issues Guidance on Rural Health Transformation Program,
States Seek Public Input
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Yesterday, CMS published information regarding the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Through the RHTP, each state is expected to receive a minimum of $100 million per year, 2026 – 2030, to improve rural health care, with the potential for additional dollars beyond that. States will receive further guidance when the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is released by mid-September, with applications due from states in early November.
In preparation, both North Dakota and South Dakota have issued Request for Information (RFI) surveys inviting ideas from the public. CHAD has compiled a list of recommendations from members, in consultation with health center leaders, and will submit RFI responses in both states. Health center members may also submit individual responses specific to their
organizations.
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LeadU
Training in Jamestown, ND
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The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas and Think 3D are proud to present LeadU—an interactive leadership training program designed to instill health care supervisors and managers with the skills, mindset, and confidence to lead effectively and intentionally.
LeadU focuses on three core dimensions of leadership growth: personal, professional, and potential. Whether you’re a new supervisor or an experienced manager, LeadU will help you grow as a leader—and elevate your team along the way.
October 1 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm CT | Jamestown, ND
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Self-Collection for Cervical Cancer Screening
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The American Cancer Society National Roundtable on Cervical Cancer is launching a new educational webinar series designed for FQHCs and safety-net health systems. The first session, Landscape of HPV
Self-Collection Testing, will take place on Thursday, October 30 at 12:00 pm CT. This 45-minute session will provide a foundational overview of self-collection, including available testing options, limitations, and current clinical guidelines—answering the key “5 W’s” of self-collection in cervical cancer screening.
Save the Dates:
- System Readiness & Tracking – December 4, 2025 | 12:00 pm CT
- Implementation – January 15, 2026 | 12:00 pm CT
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Navigator Partner Resource: Beyond the Basics Webinar Series
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The Beyond the Basics annual webinar series occurs each fall before open enrollment. This year, they are offering a mix of live webinars on the most popular and complex topics, along with “office hours” sessions for real-time responses to your specific questions. Presented by policy experts, these sessions provide in-depth training on a wide range of eligibility and enrollment topics to help assisters prepare effectively for open enrollment.
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Stay
Informed with NACHC Policy Pulse
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Join the NACHC Policy Pulse virtual call series—tailored for Community Health Centers, Primary Care Associations (PCAs), and Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs)—to receive timely updates on policy and advocacy developments coming out of Washington.
Dates: September 10, October 8, November 12, and December 10 at 3:00 pm ET
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Help
Shape North Dakota's Future Transportation Plan
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The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is updating its long-range plan, Transportation Connection: 2025–2050 and wants your input. The plan will guide decisions for highways, rail, air service, biking, and walking over the next 25 years.
Public Input Meetings:
- Bismarck – Wednesday, Sept. 10 | 3:00 – 6:00 pm CT | Bismarck Art & Galleries Association
- Dickinson – Thursday, Sept. 11 | 4:00 - 7:00 pm MT | West River Community Center
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Complete
Health to Host AIDS Walk
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Complete Health invites you to take part in the AIDS Walk Black Hills 2025 on Saturday, September 20 at 10:00 am MT at Memorial Park in Rapid City, SD. This free community event raises awareness and support for those affected by HIV/AIDS. All are welcome—no registration required.
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Managing
Medications for Perinatal Mental Health Conditions
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Join the BIRTH-SD-AIM team for a virtual two-part series about managing medications for perinatal mental health conditions on Wednesday, October 29 at 1:00 pm
CT and Wednesday, November 19 at 12:00 pm CT. The two calls will feature Dr. Lindsay Standeven, a reproductive psychiatrist with nearly a decade of experience treating perinatal mental health conditions.
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Lunch N' Learn: New Feature Alert! Act on RAF Gaps with the Azara EHR Plug-In
Join Azara for an overview of exciting new functionality within Azara’s EHR Plug-In: Deferring RAF Gaps for future review. The EHR Plug-In is a separate Azara product, but this webinar is available to anyone who is interested in learning about how Azara is supporting care teams in their efforts to address RAF Gaps at the point-of-care!
Tuesday, September 9
12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
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Session 2: Operationalizing Value-Based Care: An Interactive Series with DRVS
As value-based care (VBC) continues to gain traction across CMS, Medicaid, and commercial payers, health centers are presented with an important opportunity to align care delivery with quality, cost, and patient outcomes. Success in this landscape requires more than intention—it calls for strategic alignment across teams, workflows, and data systems.
This interactive webinar series is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to build and operate an effective VBC strategy. The series begins with a high-level overview of the current VBC environment, outlining key success factors and practical approaches to developing a strong, data-informed foundation.
Thursday, September 11
1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT
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Utilizing the PVP: Best Practices for Streamlining Point of Care Delivery
Huddles are a fundamental pillar of team-based care, driving care gap closure, greater efficiency, improved patient health outcomes, and staff satisfaction. Join Azara to learn about how the DRVS Patient Visit Planning report supports the huddle process, and how you can set your practice up for success when incorporating the PVP into your workflows and operations. Learn how to operationalize the PVP and continuously track its efficacy in improving measure performance and patient care. This webinar is recommended for team members responsible for utilizing the PVP
and tracking care gap closure rates. This could include providers, medical assistants, nurses, and quality team members.
Tuesday, September 16
12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
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Session 3: Operationalizing Value-Based Care: An Interactive Series with DRVS
As value-based care (VBC) continues to gain traction across CMS, Medicaid, and commercial payers, health centers are presented with an important opportunity to align care delivery with quality, cost, and patient outcomes. Success in this landscape requires more than intention—it calls for strategic alignment across teams, workflows, and data systems. This interactive webinar series is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to build and operate an effective VBC strategy. The series begins with a high-level overview of the current VBC
environment, outlining key success factors and practical approaches to developing a strong, data-informed foundation.
Thursday, September 18
1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT
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As the Community
HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, we believe that everyone has a right to high-quality, reliable, affordable health care, regardless of where they live. We work with health centers, community leaders, and partners to increase access and improve health care services in areas of the Dakotas that need it most.
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This account is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an
award totaling $1,423,637.00 with 0 percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
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