Health Centers Need a Bipartisan Funding Solution By Sept. 30th
Health centers are depending on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to extend and increase health center funding before September 30th. If Congress does not act, millions of Americans will lose access to affordable primary health care. The Chairs of three important House Committees – Energy & Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Workforce – released The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378), a comprehensive health care bill the House is expected to vote on in the coming days. This bill is a key step in the federal budget process and includes:
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Health Center Funding: A two-year and three-month extension at $4.4 billion per year. This is a $400 million increase over current funding levels!
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Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education: A seven-year extension and gradual increase from $126 million to $300 million per year starting in 2028.
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National Health Service Corps: A two-year and three-month extension at $350 million per year. This is a $40 million increase over current funding levels.
We need strong advocacy from the field to ensure bipartisan support when health center funding comes to the floor for a vote. NACHC is mobilizing our networks to urge Congress to pass this important legislation.
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NACHC NEWS BRIEFING: WATCH THE RECORDING
Yesterday, community health center leaders discussed the urgent need for lawmakers to pass sustainable funding for the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) at a virtual news briefing. The briefing, hosted by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), comes as House lawmakers are scheduled to consider the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378), and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is set to consider the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act.
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NACHC Conferences, Webinars, and Trainings |
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2023 Financial Operations Management / Information Technology (FOM/IT) Conference & Expo
Conference: October 24-25, 2023
Preconference Workshops: October 23
Paris Las Vegas| Las Vegas, NV | HYBRID
NACHC’s FOM/IT conference is a gathering of over 700 health center senior leaders, managers, and staff CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CIOs and finance, operations and IT staff from across the country. The conference provides an opportunity for participants to interact with their colleagues, industry experts, and powerful speakers to share proven techniques and tools and discover innovative strategies necessary to transform their organizations.
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October 22-23, 2023 | Paris Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV (ahead of FOM/IT)
CEOI is a six-month training program for CEOs of health centers to learn with and from peers, and hone health center-specific leadership skills. It is best suited for CEOs in the role for three years or less. The program kicks off with a two-day workshop on October 22-23, 2023 ahead of NACHC’s FOM/IT Conference and Expo in Las Vegas.
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October 23, 2023 | Las Vegas, NV
Join us at NACHC's inaugural Innovation Experience event hosted by NACHC's Center for Community Health Innovation! Come in teams of two (2) and learn how to operationalize and sustain innovation for the future. This is a pre-conference event for FOM/IT that you won’t want to miss.
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SPECIAL RATES FOR NACHC MEMBERS!
October 2-4, 2023 | St. Louis, MO
RWC-340B and NACHC invite all Federal Grantees and partners, representing a diverse range of organizations such as Ryan White Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), specialty clinics including Tribal, Black Lung, Family Planning, Hemophilia, and beyond. We strongly believe that the conference curriculum holds immense value for every grantee and staff member, regardless of their role or background.
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November 13-15, 2023 | Omni Louisville Hotel, Louisville, KY
NACHC is delighted to convene all PCAs, HCCNs, and NTTAP partners for the 2023 PCA and HCCN Conference, taking place in Louisville, KY, November 13-15! Because PCAs, HCCNs, and NTTAPs play a vital role in the direct support of nearly 1400 health centers and look-a-likes, this year’s Conference focuses on policy, data, operations, payment, and workforce, all centered around building partnerships and strategies for the equitable care of health center patients.
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Dec 5-6, 2023 | Portland, OR, or Virtual | Don’t Miss Out!
The Introduction to Community Health Center Finance (Intro to CHC Finance) training workshop is designed to provide an orientation to financial management, accounting principles, and terminology unique to health centers as well as an in-depth focus on 330 grant management, including the elements of the scope of services, and reporting. This is approved for up to 13.8 CPE credits.
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A changing climate is inequitably impacting many communities that health centers serve. Learn more about the health impacts of climate change and become part of the solution through the NEW self-paced Climate4Health Ambassador training developed by ecoAmerica and in collaboration with NACHC! This free training also offers 3 continuing education credits for numerous health professions.
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Welcome New Members!
Organizational Member:
Central City Concern (OR)
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We are now accepting applications for membership on NACHC committees! NACHC’s committees assist the Board by identifying priorities, conducting detailed deliberation, and making recommendations for assigned areas.
2024-2025 Committee Information and Application: The committee application process is open. Please review the committee information and application. Applications are due October 17, 2023.
The Membership staff is ready to help you. Please contact Susan Hansen at 301-347-0400.
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At a news briefing yesterday, health center advocates described how fiscal uncertainty affects operations among the nation’s Community Health Centers, creating disruptions in hiring clinicians and planning services for the 31.5 million patients they serve. Unless Congress acts by September 30, 2023, all federal funding for health centers expires. NACHC has been leading the push among health center advocates across the country for bipartisan legislation to address the looming expiration of the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) and critical primary care workforce programs, such as the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program. The CHCF represents 70 percent of health center funding.
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With a September 30th deadline drawing closer, efforts on Capitol Hill to craft bipartisan legislation that extends funding for Community Health Centers and essential primary care workforce programs will be considered next week. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, have announced legislation ahead of a markup next Thursday that boosts critical funding for health centers, as well as the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and Teaching Health Centers.
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Last week, the Chairs of three important House Committees – Energy & Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Workforce – released The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378), a comprehensive health care bill the House is expected to vote on in the coming days. Read on to learn more about the bill and contact your representative today.
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Calling all community health innovators! Is your organization ready to move an innovation from “new” to a “standard operating procedure?” Has funding your innovation run out or perhaps you haven’t yet built-in sustainability for the future? Read on to learn more about this new event, being hosted in Las Vegas prior to FOM/IT.
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September Elevate Learning Forum and FREE Staff Professional Development Opportunities!
- Missed our Elevate September Learning Forum on Patient Engagement? Access the slides and recording here.
- NEW and FREE Professional Development Opportunities - apply here before September 22nd
- Lifestyle Coach Training
- The Role of Nurses in Value Transformation
- Person-Centered Care for Individuals with Higher Weight
Sign up for Elevate for FREE access to resources here. Any questions, please contact the Quality Center at [email protected].
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Fall Kickoff: Friday, October 6, 2023 from 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm ET
Webinar Dates (tentative): November 15, December 13, January 10
NACHC’s Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP) is a 5-month virtual experiential learning curriculum that offers best practices, resources, and hands-on experience to emerging leaders as they work to build people power and advance advocacy within their health centers, PCAs, and communities.
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In Memoriam
NACHC is saddened to hear of the passing of a beloved leader in the health center movement.
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Health Center News & Resources |
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Join Apexus on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST for a webinar on 340B program staffing models, the 340B oversight committee, and 340B Program compliance. This webinar will provide real-world examples of the advantages and disadvantages of different 340B program staffing models, as well as a breakdown of the 340B oversight committee at 340B entities. Apexus 340B experts will also discuss 340B Program compliance and provide practical insights that you can apply to your organization. Please register here for the upcoming webinar.
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Each year, the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program offers health professionals the opportunity to leverage their expertise to gain experience in federal health legislation on Capitol Hill. Apply to join the class of 2024 and learn more about this opportunity to promote health equity through policy: Healthpolicyfellows.org
Applications for the 2024–2025 Fellowship class will be accepted August 1 – November 1, 2023.
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