Share
CHAD Connection Newsletter
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
 
News Events Policy RHTP Resources
 
 
NACHC Templates Available for 340B Rebate Model RFI, due April 20
NACHC has released comment letter templates for health centers to share both data and narratives about their 340B programs, as well as calculators that can be used to estimate impacts, in response to HRSA’s Request for Information (RFI) on a 340B rebate model.

Responses are due April 20. Following the withdrawal of the original pilot from 2025, HRSA is seeking detailed feedback on operational, financial, and administrative feasibility of another 340B Rebate Model by gathering input from interested parties regarding the potential use of a rebate model. Health centers are encouraged to either submit a comment letter using the templates, or to share some of their calculations with CHAD for inclusion in our comment letter. Template letters, calculators, and more are available on
NACHC’s 340B Rebate Model webpage.

For assistance, please contact
kim.kuhlmann@communityhealthcare.net.
 
South Dakota RHTP Updates: New Chronic Disease and Rural Health Strong RFPs
This week, South Dakota released two new RFPs which include health centers and clinics as eligible applicants.

Award Amount and Timeline: $200,000 for Year 1 (7/1/26 - 10/30/27), with option to renew for three additional years, with a funding ceiling of $150,000 per each additional year.

Deadline to apply: May 14

Purpose: Address leading causes of death and disability through evidence-based chronic disease interventions and remote patient monitoring. Eligible activities align well with health center priorities. Examples include team-based chronic disease care coordination, use of community health workers or community health representatives to address barriers to health, purchase of remote patient monitoring equipment, and more.

Technical Assistance: CHAD is working to schedule a call with interested health centers to assist in brainstorming project ideas and approaches. Please contact Jennifer Saueressig to learn more.


New RFP: Rural Health Strong: Strengthening Access to Care in Rural Communities

Award Amount and Timeline:
The grant opportunity will make multiple awards with a total funding pool for awards of up to $31,750,000 for budget period one. The contract resulting from this RFP will be issued for a period starting on or around 5/8/26 and ending 9/30/27, and contracts may include options for up to four one-year renewals.

Deadline to Apply: May 15, 2026

Letter of Intent Response Due (Optional): April 10, 2026

Purpose: These grants are intended to strengthen access to care in rural communities, in support of the following initiatives: Medicaid Rural Health Access and Quality Grants; Medicaid Primary Accountable Care Transformation; and Regional Maternal and Infant Health Hubs. Grants may be used to support operational and strategic planning, strategic partnerships, service line expansion, regional resources/hub and spoke models, and care coordination infrastructure/readiness for value-based care.

Technical Assistance: CHAD will reach out to health center leaders regarding available technical assistance to support them in this process.

Future RHTP funding opportunities and updates can be found at https://doh.sd.gov/healthcare-professionals/rural-health/rural-health-transformation-project/.
 
RHTP Update: North Dakota
North Dakota released its first RFP (Workforce Retention Funding for Critical Access Hospitals and Their Owned and Operated Clinics) on March 18th. The current RFP is available only to critical access hospitals and their owned and operated clinics. However, the RFP notes that additional funding opportunities will be announced in mid-2026 and will include additional eligibility sites. CHAD continues to proactively engage state officials regarding the vital role of community health centers in transforming rural health.

For ongoing updates, see North Dakota’s RHTP webpage. In addition, CHAD’s RHTP webpage includes our recent webinar presentation highlighting the state’s initiatives and alignment with health centers.  

 
NACHC Advocacy Alert: Urge HRSA to Pursue Strategic Investment Priorities for CHCs
Take action today! Send a letter urging HRSA to allocate CHC funding toward strategic investment priorities like capital investments in technology and health IT infrastructure, service expansion for behavioral health and nutrition, and new access points.

 
Scrubs Camps
Recently, Scrubs Camps were held in partnership with Northland Health Centers and Coal Country Community Health Center in North Dakota. Participants had the opportunity to learn directly from health care professionals as representatives from both organizations, along with CHAD, presented on career pathways, real-world experiences, and the importance of community-based health care. The collaboration helped inspire attendees to explore future opportunities in health and medical professions.

Shelly Hegerle, Director of People and Culture at CHAD, said “Scrubs Camps are one of my favorite events each year, and I was especially encouraged this time to see so many students raise their hands when asked if they’ve considered a future in health care.”
 
CHWSD South Dakota Conference Awards
CHWSD is now accepting nominations for the 5th Annual SD CHW Conference Awards. These awards honor individuals who have made a meaningful impact in the CHW/CHR workforce through leadership, innovation, and service.

Nomination Deadline: April 17
Conference: April 29-20 in Mitchell, SD
 
Strengthening Emergency Preparedness Across the Dakotas
The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) plays a key role in helping health centers across North Dakota and South Dakota stay prepared for emergencies. Through its Emergency Preparedness Network Team, CHAD brings together staff to share resources, best practices, and real-world strategies to strengthen readiness and response.

As the Primary Care Association for the Dakotas, CHAD supports health centers by providing training, technical assistance, and guidance on meeting preparedness requirements. This work helps ensure health centers can continue delivering essential care during emergencies and disruptions.

CHAD is also promoting an upcoming emergency preparedness webinar series designed to provide practical tools and insights for health center teams. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your organization’s preparedness efforts.
 
NACHC Advocacy Alert: FY27 CHC Senate Appropriations Letter 
Take action today! Send an email and make a call to urge your senators to sign the FY27 CHC Appropriations Letter. NACHC’s goal is to reach 60 signers before the deadline of Thursday, April 16.
 
NACHC CMS and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Special Series
Join the NACHC Federal Action Support Team for a special series with leaders from CMS and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to learn about their models of care supporting and sustaining the work of Community Health Centers. This series is open to all health center leaders and health center partners interested in value-based payment models and funding opportunities. The five-part webinar series begins Tuesday, April 7th, at 3pm CT. Learn more and register: NACHC F.A.S.T. Call: Special CMS/CMMI Series - NACHC
 
 
Health Centers in the News
Spectra Health was mentioned in the Grand Forks Herald - Letter: In appreciation of our behavioral health service providers.

KX News highlighted Northland Health Centers being the host of scrubs camp for students.

Horizon Health provider offers experienced maternal health support.
 
 
 
Equipping Your Board: Strengthening Governance Data:
A 2-Part Webinar Series for Health Center Leadership Teams

Health center boards must oversee finances, quality, CEO performance, and compliance, but leadership teams often struggle to provide the right information. This two-part webinar with Jennifer Genua-McDaniel will help teams design reporting systems that meet federal requirements, strengthen board oversight, and focus on the most important data.

Session 1: Board Compliance Essentials
April 6 | 1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT

Session 2: Board Compliance Measures – What Data Belongs at the Board Level
April 20 | 1:00 pm CT / 12:00 pm MT
 
Join CHAD and the South Dakota Department of Health for a discussion of “Connecting Families to Care: Maternal & Infant Health Resource Promotion and Mapping in South Dakota” at the upcoming SD ECCS webinar!
Join us to learn about the collaborative efforts to improve access to family support statewide. This session will introduce updates to the Family Resources website, share strategies for connecting families and providers to services, and provide an overview of the South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force’s work to identify gaps and strengthen maternal and infant care.

April 14 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT

 
Health Center Emergency Readiness Series
Health centers face increasing operational, regulatory, and environmental risks – from cyberattacks and facility disruptions to natural disasters and public health emergencies. This Health Center Emergency Readiness Series provides health care leaders with practical strategies to maintain operations during disruptions while meeting federal preparedness requirements.

Across two focused webinars, participants will begin with a hands-on exploration of the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule and then progress to executive-level business continuity planning. The series emphasizes real‑world application, leadership decision‑making, and survey readiness—helping organizations strengthen resilience, protect patients and staff, and ensure compliance before the next emergency occurs.

Session 1: CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Requirements
April 23 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT

Session 2: Business Continuity for Health Centers: Keeping Operations Running When Disasters Strike
May 14 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT

 
Agenda Available and Register Soon for the GPCIN Summit and Strategic Planning Conference this Month
The agenda is available for the GPCIN Summit & Strategic Planning Conference, taking place in Rapid City, South Dakota.

The Summit agenda is built for dedicated time for strategic planning, leadership collaboration, and network-wide alignment. Sessions focus on setting priorities, strengthening impact, and shaping the future direction of GPCIN. Executives, board members, and key staff are strongly encouraged to attend.

Visit the GPCIN Summit webpage to review the full agenda and complete your registration. Register now to secure your spot and hotel room.

April 28-30, 2026 in Rapid City, SD

 
Maternal Mental Health Series
Session 3: Referral, Care Coordination, and Community Resource Integration
This three-part Maternal Mental Health series is designed to help health center teams strengthen perinatal mental health care across every setting. The series covers the full continuum of care, from early screening and identification to clinical response and treatment planning, and referral and community care coordination. Each session provides evidence-based tools and actionable strategies that can be immediately integrated into obstetric, midwifery, pediatric, and primary care workflows. Participants will leave better equipped to identify at-risk patients, respond appropriately to positive screens, and support continuity of care for pregnant and postpartum patients, including those in rural and underserved communities.

May 27 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT

 
Caring with Confidence: Integrating HIV Testing, Management, and Prevention in Primary Care
This four-part 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 4: June 24 | 12:00 pm CT / 11:00 am MT
 
Find these and other events on the CHAD website.
 
Upcoming External Webinars & Events
Building Tomorrow's Health Center Health IT and Data Systems, Today
This learning pathway is a comprehensive, structured series designed for health center leaders and IT professionals focused on the future of their organization's technology infrastructure. This progression guides participants through the strategic considerations, best practices, and innovative approaches to designing and implementing robust Health IT and data systems. Moving from foundational principles to advanced concepts, the series covers topics such as system interoperability, data governance, scalable architecture, and leveraging emerging technologies to enhance patient care and operational effectiveness. By the end of this pathway, you will have a clear roadmap for building a resilient, integrated, and future-ready health IT ecosystem.

April 8 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm CT / 11:00 am - 12:00 pm MT


Elevate National Learning Forum: Care Management, Care Teams, and Workforce

This April, join us as we focus on Care Management, Care Teams, and Workforce, exploring how health centers are building and strengthening care management programs, including efforts in transitional care management and the development of care team structures. Hear directly from health centers as they share real-world strategies, lessons learned, and practical approaches to improving care coordination and outcomes. Access previous session slides, recordings, audience FAQs and more, in the Elevate Community eJournal.

April 14 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm CT / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Free


Incorporating Essential Components of Incident Command System (ICS) for Health Center Leadership
This interactive webinar equips health center leadership with practical strategies to implement Incident Command System (ICS) principles in both emergency and day-to-day operations. Learn how FEMA and CDC ICS frameworks intersect with health center operations, understand their role within the ESF-8 coordination structure, and explore how to embed ICS principles into routine management practices. Watch the recording here.

On-Demand | Originally held February 3, 2026 | Webinar Recording | Free


RM-PHTC's Facilitation Foundations Course
Registration is open for the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center’s winter run of Facilitation Foundations—a highly interactive, deep-dive course designed for those new to facilitation.

Over 10 weeks, you’ll build your capacity to facilitate meetings and coalitions that are efficient, effective, and lead to results.

By the end, you’ll be equipped to help groups meet their goals and take ownership of the process.

Registration deadline: April 14
Dakota Conference on Rural Health
The Dakota Conference on Rural Health, which has been a mainstay in North Dakota for over 40 years, is being reimagined. This year the conference will take a stronger look at leadership, workforce, and innovation happening throughout rural North Dakota communities.

June 3-4 | Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND
 
Integrating DRVS Into Daily Workflows: Practical Strategies for Care Teams, Operations, and Quality
Learn how to incorporate DRVS into your daily workflows to strengthen patient care, streamline operations, and improve organizational performance. This session will walk participants through the key DRVS tools that support day-to-day work across care teams, patient support services, operations, and quality. Azara will explore how to use the PVP, CMP, registries, referrals, and usage dashboards to prepare for visits, close care gaps, coordinate services, and track results.

Tuesday, April 7
12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT

DRVS Measure of the Month: IVD Aspirin Use & Statin Therapy
Are you ready to take your validation skills to the next level? Do you want to explore DRVS in real time with Azara experts? Join Azara’s new webinar series: Measure of the Month! This series will take a deep dive into one to two common quality measures each month, explore validation tips and tricks, and help make sure your data is reporting ready, all year round!

Wednesday, April 8
12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT

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 team 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, April 28
12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT
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.

Thursday, April 30
1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT
 
 
 
 
 
 
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.
This publication 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 $1,561,267.00 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. CHAD makes available upon request its annual 990 report. Please make your request directly to the Director of Programs at 605-309-0873.

Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign