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Maternal health in the rural Dakotas is deeply personal to me. My mother is a physician at a clinic in Winner, South Dakota and Horizon Health in Mission, SD, and throughout my life I’ve heard countless stories from mothers and families who relied on her and her colleagues for care during pregnancy and beyond. In places like Mission—and across much of rural South Dakota—community health centers are often the only access point for affordable, high-quality maternal and
primary care. Rural communities, Indigenous families, and those living far from birthing hospitals often experience significant barriers to care. These realities make it clear: improving maternal health is urgent and essential to building healthier families and communities.
That’s why CHAD is working closely with partners to improve maternal health across the Dakotas.
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Health Centers in the News
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With the rise of food insecurities in Grand Forks, ND, Spectra Health (along with other organizations) is responding by screening patients, identifying high rates of need, and distributing nearly 300 food bags in partnership with the Great Plains Food Bank, as reported by InForum.
As quoted by Dakota News Now, CHAD CEO Shelly Ten Napel urges that the state application for Rural Health Transformation funding should include collaborative efforts to build and sustain the workforce, as recruiting and retaining high-quality health care providers in rural communities has been the top challenge for health centers in the Dakotas over the past decade.
Northland Health Centers is featured on ND Today as Jennie Cornell, director of behavioral health, spoke on how embracing change—rather than resisting it—can open doors to growth and new opportunities.
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Federal funding for Community Health Centers (CHCs) is set to expire on September 30. Without action from Congress, vital care for patients and communities across the Dakotas is at risk.
Community health centers keep care local, affordable, and accessible—especially in rural communities. They provide primary care homes for patients, manage chronic conditions, reduce costly ER visits, and care for everyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Please contact your members of Congress today
and urge them to reauthorize long-term federal funding for community health centers.
If you
live in North Dakota or South Dakota and take action by September 30, you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to win a free CHAD t-shirt of your choosing from our online store!
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Medicaid Training for Community Partners
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Join us for an informative Medicaid training designed for community partners, service providers, and others who assist individuals with health coverage, specifically in South Dakota. This session will provide an overview of the Medicaid application and enrollment process, highlight best practices for working with clients, and share updates on policies and procedures. The presenters will also briefly share about Medicaid’s new BabyReady program, highlighting the benefits the
program offers to Medicaid recipients and enrolled providers.
Thursday, October 9 | 11:00 am CT / 10:00 am MT
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New State Health Officer Appointed in North Dakota
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Gov. Kelly Armstrong has appointed Sherry Adams, CEO of the Southwestern District Health Unit, as North Dakota’s next State Health Officer effective Sept. 15. Adams has over 20 years of experience in public health and emergency response, including leadership during major disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. In her new role, she will advise state and local leaders on public health strategy, policy, and prevention, while continuing her work with the Southwestern District Health Unit. We look forward to further engaging with Adams, who has served on the Multi-Partner Health Collaborative Steering Committee with CHAD.
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Public health professionals and primary care providers play a critical role in improving the health of people living with HIV, reducing new HIV diagnoses, and decreasing HIV-related illnesses. By integrating HIV-related services into primary care and recognizing HIV as a manageable chronic condition, clinicians can improve both individual
and public health outcomes.
This four-part training series is designed for any clinician who wants to establish or strengthen their core competencies in HIV care and prevention. Each session offers practical, evidence-based guidance on essential aspects of HIV management within primary care settings.
Session 1: Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
Session 2: Wednesday, January 28 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
Session 3: Wednesday, March 25 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
Session 4: Wednesday, June 24 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
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Clarification on UDS Reporting Requirements
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To align with Administration priorities, HRSA removed data elements related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in the Health Center Program Uniform Data System (UDS) reporting requirements. As such, HRSA does not ask for or require Health Center Program grant recipients to collect or submit data related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Any statements that indicate the collection of SOGI data is a HRSA requirement are inaccurate and must be removed or modified. HRSA urges health centers to ensure removal of any such references,
including by working with EHR vendors, subrecipients, contractors, and/or staff. Please refer to PAL-2025-03: Final Uniform Data System Changes for Calendar Year 2025 for more information.
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Real Stories of Medicaid Making a Difference
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Check out the latest Medicaid stories:
These powerful stories remind us how important Medicaid is in helping people stay healthy, get care, and rebuild their lives. If you or someone you know has a story like this, please share — your experience could change someone else’s path.
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Webinar
Opportunity: Recruiting for Retention
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The UND Center for Rural Health is sponsoring a free 6-part webinar series, 3RNET Recruiting for Retention Blueprint, to help rural and underserved health care employers strengthen hiring and retention practices.
Sessions run October 7–December 16, with recordings available for registrants. North Dakota employers serving rural or underserved communities can register at no cost using code CRH25.
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NACHC
Workforce Conference
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The 2025 NACHC Workforce Conference is returning to Las Vegas, NV. Explore fresh strategies and innovative solutions while connecting with colleagues, industry experts, and powerful speakers who will share proven techniques and tools to help transform your organization. This premier conference is for innovators and leaders supporting their health centers in operations & finance, health information technology, and clinical service delivery.
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Streamlining the PVP: Opportunities for Configuration
Once you’ve established a baseline understanding of the Patient Visit Planning Report (PVP), there are countless opportunities to optimize this report to efficiently close care gaps and promote operational improvement. Join this webinar to review a range of configuration opportunities for the PVP, including alerts and new custom PVP configuration functionality. This
webinar is recommended for team members responsible for managing the back end of DRVS. This could include Admin Users, Super Users, among others.
Tuesday, September 23
12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
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Session 4: 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 25
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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