CHAD Connection

State legislative sessions are in full swing in both North Dakota and South Dakota. Over the past couple of weeks, CHAD and member health centers have had the opportunity to weigh in on a number of important issues.

Rachel Thomas, chief financial officer at Northland Health Centers, reflected on the experience of testifying before North Dakota legislators, sharing, “Testifying before lawmakers on behalf of CHC’s was both empowering and humbling—it is a chance to turn personal experience into meaningful change. Sharing our stories isn’t just about being heard; it’s about making sure policies reflect the real lives they impact.” Rachel was joined by her colleague Jennie Cornell, behavioral health supervisor at Northland Health Centers, as they shared about the impact of community health centers in addressing unmet needs and improving local access to care. Shannon Bacon, director of external affairs at CHAD, also testified about the impact of health centers statewide.

In South Dakota, CHAD and member health centers voiced support for HB 1071, which would modernize and streamline the practice criteria for physician assistants (PAs) in the state. PAs are critical to health centers’ ability to provide high-quality care in areas of the state that need it most, and HB 1071 would remove unnecessary and costly administrative barriers for PAs and their employers, while providing the flexibility for health care facilities to decide what works best for their settings and staffing. HB 1071 passed on the House floor yesterday. Next, it will move to the Senate.

In North Dakota, CHAD and member health centers are working with a broad range of partners to advocate for the addition of a dental benefit under Medicaid Expansion in SB 2231. Today, 34,000 North Dakotans are covered by Medicaid Expansion, yet they have no dental coverage. Nadine Boe, CEO at Northland Health Centers, testified, sharing, “In my own work at Northland, we see firsthand how this lack of coverage impacts real people—parents who can’t work because of an untreated infection, seniors who can’t eat properly due to missing teeth, and young adults starting their careers already facing major dental problems they can’t afford to fix.” Kim Kuhlmann, policy & partnership manager at CHAD, also testified in the hearing and shared this quote from Mara Jiran, CEO at Spectra Health Center: “This approach not only saves money but improves health outcomes. It offers the chance to expand our workforce, reduce administrative burden, and provide more sustainable care, benefiting both patients and the Medicaid program.” SB 2231 received a do pass from the Senate Human Services Committee. Next, it will be heard by the Senate Appropriations Human Resources Sub-Division the week of February 10.

Join CHAD for Health Center Day at the Capitol events in Pierre and Bismarck

Ready to bring your health center’s story to your state capitol? Join us for Health Center Day at the Capitol events in Pierre and Bismarck. Together, we’ll engage with lawmakers and state officials to showcase the vital role health centers play in providing primary medical, behavioral, and dental health services to communities across our states. Learn more and register:

Eman Yassin, a behavioral health intern at Family HealthCare, was awarded the 2024 Virginia McKnight Binger Heart of Community Honor by the McKnight Foundation.

Shelly Ten Napel, CEO at CHAD, spoke on the importance of advertising for insurance enrollment and creating a more simplified application process in an article on Noem’s proposed budget cuts.

Jennie Cornell, behavioral health supervisor at Northland Health Centers, spoke with ND Today on tips for managing winter blues.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, making February a crucial time to raise awareness about prevention and early intervention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), promoting heart health through education, lifestyle changes, and regular medical check-ups can help combat this ongoing public health challenge.

While cardiovascular disease affects everyone, its impact is not felt equally. Risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes vary significantly across different racial, ethnic, and gender groups, underscoring the need for targeted interventions. Excess weight, now a significant health threat, contributes to approximately 1,300 deaths daily and disproportionately affects women and Black adults. While smoking rates and high cholesterol levels have declined, obesity—especially among youth—has become a growing concern. Currently, 40% of U.S. children have an unhealthy weight, with 20% classified as having obesity. Globally, nearly 60% of adults fall into this category as well.

Health centers play a vital role in addressing these challenges by encouraging healthy habits, promoting regular primary care visits, and emphasizing routine blood pressure monitoring. The Great Plains Health Data Network Clinical Advisory Committee has identified blood pressure control as a key clinical priority. In 2023, 64.0% of patients with hypertension at participating health centers had their blood pressure under control (<140/90 mmHg). The committee aims to increase this to 65% by 2026.

Self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) is a valuable tool in this effort, helping patients take an active role in their care while improving diagnosis and management. To support health centers in implementing SMBP, CHAD has developed a coaching plan to assist health centers in launching their own SMBP programs. This initiative will streamline the adoption process and support long-term success.

However, tackling heart disease requires more than individual lifestyle changes—it demands addressing the social drivers of health. Health centers can make a lasting impact by understanding patients' social needs, connecting them with local resources, and improving access to affordable health care, nutritious food, and supportive services.

As part of this national movement, we encourage everyone to participate in National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 7. Wearing red helps raise awareness about heart disease and reinforces the importance of prevention. Together, we can take steps toward a healthier future.

Heart Health Resources:

This two-part webinar series tackles the pressing issue of workplace burnout, offering actionable strategies to help professionals reignite their passion for their work while nurturing their whole selves. Through engaging discussions and practical insights, participants will explore how aligning with their core values can foster fulfillment in both professional and personal spheres.

This webinar is for health care providers, support staff, and anyone seeking greater fulfillment in their work. This series has been approved for three continuing education credits by the ND Board of Social Work Examiners and the SD Board of Social Work Examiners.

Tuesday, February 25 & Tuesday, March 11 | 10:00 am CT | 9:00 am MT

CHAD is excited to re-introduce its Associate Membership Program, a unique opportunity for organizations that share our mission of fostering healthy communities and increasing access to affordable, high-quality care. This membership category is designed to strengthen collaboration, expand professional networks, and provide valuable resources to organizations looking to engage with CHAD and its members.

Who Should Consider an Associate Membership?

Associate membership is open to a variety of organizations, including:

Organizations with a similar or aligned mission to CHAD;

Vendors seeking to enhance brand awareness within CHAD’s membership network;

Organizations interested in forming partnerships with CHAD or its members; and

Supporters of CHAD’s work in the Dakotas.

Exclusive Membership Benefits

Associate members enjoy a variety of valuable benefits, such as professional development, networking opportunities, and marketing resources. They receive discounts on registrations for CHAD events, reduced sponsorship rates for those events, spotlight features during webinars and in the newsletter, as well as recognition on the CHAD website and social media.

Join Today!

Becoming an associate member is a strategic way to engage with CHAD, expand your network, and support our mission of advancing access to quality health care. For more information contact Lindsey Karlson, director of programs and training, at lindsey@communityhealthcare.net.

Renaye James Healthcare Advisors is hosting a series of free HRSA NTTAP technical training webinars and learning collaboratives. These sessions provide invaluable opportunities for health care professionals to gain practical insights and tools to enhance their work.

We are highlighting the Health Center Excellence Academy and Maternal Health Training Library as part of these events. This innovative program aims to improve maternal health care by integrating evidence-based practices with effective learning methods. The Academy empowers professionals to provide exceptional care to mothers and their families.

What the Academy Offers:

Accelerated Learning: Short, focused courses to keep professionals updated on maternal health advancements.

Maternal Health Training Library: Expert-created resources covering prenatal to postpartum care, including tools, case studies, and real-world scenarios.

Join the HITEQ Center for an in-depth session on the effective adoption of an integrated patient portal. This webinar will provide valuable tools and methodologies to assist with: workflow development, training on activation and meaningful use of the portal, dissemination strategies, and harnessing EHR analytics tools to determine the return on your investment. They will also discuss strategies for incorporating Community Health Workers into your model. Participants will have the opportunity to view data samples showcasing the significant impact of our Community Health Worker efforts.

Tuesday, March 18 | 1:00 pm CT | 12:00 pm MT

Role-Based Series: DRVS for Quality Improvement, Part 1

The QI Director is often at the helm when it comes to setting up DRVS for success. Matching the right tools, to the right role, for the right situation and goals can be tricky. In this first session, we will review the elements of DRVS that are foundational to your success. You guessed it - we're talking about data validation and data hygiene! We'll start by reviewing the importance of data validation and establishing a data hygiene infrastructure at your practice. We will then review additional functionalities that support validation, including Mapping Admin, Data Health Dashboards, and Breakout Measures. This webinar is recommended for team members focused on quality improvement.

Thursday, February 6

1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT

Role-Based Series: DRVS for Quality Improvement, Part 2

The QI Director is often at the helm when it comes to setting up DRVS for success. Matching the right tools, to the right role, for the right situation and goals can be tricky. In this second session, we focus on strategies for configuring and customizing DRVS to advance your practice's unique priorities and goals. During this session, we will review functionalities such as Alert Admin, Provider Groups, Cohorts, Report Customization, and DRVS for PCMH. This webinar is recommended for team members focused on quality improvement.

Tuesday, February 11

12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT

Role-Based Series: DRVS for Providers

Have you ever considered all the different ways that providers can leverage DRVS? DRVS has extensive functionality that goes far beyond the point-of-care to support providers in evaluating performance and population-level trends. In this webinar, attendees will review a wide range of functionality – including dashboards, scorecards, cohorts, and more – and discuss how it can be used by providers to track health outcomes across key populations, improve the quality of care for patients, and drive performance improvement within their organization. This session is recommended for providers or health center staff that work closely with providers. This might include the quality team, MAs, Nurses, etc.

Thursday, February 13

1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT

Role-Based Series: DRVS for Operations

With current EHR technology, it can be difficult to have insight into your organization’s inner workings. Who are your patients and where are they coming from? How many appointments are being kept, lost, or recouped? How does this impact your organization’s supply and demand? What does workload distribution look like across your providers and non-provider care team members? Join this webinar to learn about stock DRVS functionality that can help your organization discover the answers to these questions and create more capacity for decision-making related to capacity, ROI, expansion, and more. This webinar is recommended for staff who play a role in practice operations, including Admin, C-Suite, Directors and more.

Tuesday, February 18

12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT

DRVS for Pharmacy Integration

The collaboration between clinical pharmacists and physicians has proven to significantly enhance patient care and health outcomes. As specialists in medication therapy, clinical pharmacists focus on optimizing patient wellness and preventing disease. With advanced data insights, they gain greater visibility to assess medication therapy, provide tailored recommendations, prevent adverse events, and track patient progress effectively.

Join us to explore the innovative DRVS tools designed to empower clinical pharmacists and elevate patient care.

Thursday, February 20

1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT