Contact: Stacie Borrello, Communications and External Affairs, BorrelloS@ncchca.org 

December 3, 2024 – Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Western North Carolina are making an urgent appeal to state and federal lawmakers for Helene recovery funding to stabilize the rural health care workforce. Significant, long-term relief funding is essential to addressing the devastating operational and financial challenges left in the wake of Hurricane Helene, ensuring CHCs can continue providing critical care to underserved and rural communities.

“The biggest concern that I have right now, especially for some of the smaller FQHCs in rural areas, is the retention of our workforce,” said Dr. William R. Hathaway, CEO of Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). “When considering relief funding, legislators should understand that an investment in health centers isn’t simply an investment in health care, it’s an investment in economic development and stabilization of communities.”

Hurricane Helene inflicted catastrophic damage across Western NC, leaving CHCs grappling with significant challenges. Several facilities sustained significant flood damage, forcing their closure for the foreseeable future while they undergo repair, rebuilding, or relocation. Power outages destroyed essential medications, and ongoing utility disruptions delayed the reopening of certain services. Meanwhile, the closure of schools severely impacted CHC-operated school-based health centers, disrupting care for students and cutting off Medicaid reimbursements.

Despite these obstacles, CHCs have remained unwavering in their mission. Health center teams have deployed mobile units to reach the hardest-hit areas, conducted door-to-door well checks for vulnerable patients, and provided essential care in shelters and low-income housing communities.

“Community health centers are the backbone of the safety net in this region,” said Kim Wagenaar, CEO of Western North Carolina Community Health Services. “We see those who cannot be seen by anybody else. We provide more than just health care; we address food insecurity, housing, and transportation—so losing even one of us would be a loss to the entire region.”

Relief funding will be used to bolster the health care safety net for impacted residents and ensure health centers can maintain services and retain staff to provide care for the more than 192,000 patients who depend on Western NC health centers.

“We are working to fulfill our mission of improving health, inspiring hope, and advancing healing for the people of Western North Carolina,” said Dr. Richard Hudspeth, CEO of Blue Ridge Health. “Additional recovery funding is not just critical for the patients we serve but for the broader community.”

“The road to recovery is long, but the time to act is now,” said Chris Shank, CEO of NCCHCA. “Health centers cannot wait months for relief. Without immediate funding, we risk losing access to care for the most vulnerable in our communities.”

About NCCHCA:

The North Carolina Community Health Center Association represents 43 Community Health Center organizations operating more than 500 clinical sites statewide. CHCs provide comprehensive, affordable primary care—including medical, dental, and behavioral health services—to underserved communities, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 11, 2024 | CONTACT: Samone Bullock Dillahunt, sabullock@advancechc.org 

RALEIGH, NC – Advance Community Health and First Choice Community Health Centers have announced the establishment of a strategic service agreement.

Under the terms of this agreement, Advance Community Health will offer essential operational support, which encompasses human resources, clinical and quality management, practice oversight, marketing, and community engagement initiatives. First Choice anticipates that this partnership will lead to enhanced resource allocation, improved staff support, and strengthened connections within the communities it serves.

“This collaboration is not solely about affecting change; it is about embodying that change,” stated Sheila Simmons, Chief Executive Officer of First Choice. “With over 45 years of experience in delivering comprehensive care, this represents an opportune moment for our organization to investigate avenues for expanding our service offerings, streamlining operations, and improving the patient experience.”

This initiative is designed to facilitate the sharing of resources while optimizing best practices to effectively achieve corporate objectives. The agreement underscores the mutual commitment of both organizations to refine healthcare operations and ensuring a seamless experience for patients and staff alike. By delegating critical business functions to Advance, First Choice can concentrate on providing superior care and augmenting its community impact.

“Entering into a partnership with First Choice is an exceptional opportunity,” remarked Scot McCray, Chief Executive Officer of Advance Community Health. “Community health centers are indispensable to our community, and this collaboration exemplifies how we can collectively create a more substantial impact.”
About Advance Community Health

Advance Community Health is a private, non-profit community health center in Wake and Franklin counties with a mission to deliver quality, compassionate primary health care – every patient, every time – in response to the needs of our communities. Since 1972, we have been an anchor of quality, compassionate health care for more than 20,000 patients of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels. Our community-based, patient-driven health centers provide comprehensive primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, dental care, nutrition education, behavioral health counseling, a 340B pharmacy, mobile health services, health care for the homeless programs, and more.

About First Choice Community Health Centers
First Choice Community Health Centers (FCCHC) is a non-profit community health center with a mission to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services, with excellence and compassion, for the entire community. Established in 1979, FCCHC is dedicated to providing primary health care and dental services to the underserved citizens of Harnett and surrounding counties. FCCHC provides comprehensive services including primary care, dental, behavioral health, mobile health and more.

The North Carolina Community Health Center Association extends its deepest gratitude to the Dogwood Health Trust for its generous donation to support the urgent funding needs of Community Health Centers (CHCs) impacted by Hurricane Helene.

CHCs provide comprehensive, affordable care to underserved communities, including rural residents who were among those most heavily affected by the storm. Despite suffering both organizational and personal losses, the Health Center workforce has remained a lifeline for thousands of impacted individuals in the disaster area, providing essential medical care with mobile units in hard-hit communities, performing door-to-door well checks, and reopening health center sites and pharmacies even while staff dealt with unimaginable losses.

Thanks to Dogwood Health Trust’s critical emergency relief funding, seven Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) within the foundation’s operating area are receiving relief funding to help support operations, pay staff, and provide vital care to impacted residents in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

“Hurricane Helene has affected the people and communities of Western North Carolina in unimaginable ways,” said Dr. Susan Mims, CEO of Dogwood Health Trust. “Our response includes this funding for short-term relief, and we will be here for long-term recovery and rebuilding as well. We are working with our funded partners to get resources to all our neighbors in need throughout the region.”

NCCHCA and the health center recipients are deeply grateful for Dogwood Health Trust’s unwavering commitment to health equity and its continued partnership as we work together to help Western North Carolina recover.

Despite this generous donation and others, the vast scale of devastation left by Helene and prolonged service interruptions mean that additional financial support will be needed to maintain operations in the near term and to support the long-term full recovery for our Western North Carolina Health Centers and communities.

CHC Disaster Relief Fund: To support ongoing recovery, NCCHCA has launched a group CHC Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to health centers and their staff as they rebuild. Donations to the NCCHCA Disaster Relief Fund will reach multiple impacted health centers with needed resources as they continue providing affordable medical and mental health care, medications, and hope to impacted communities.

See more about how CHCs stepped into the breach to serve their communities after Helene in this PDF: https://www.ncchca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Community-Health-Centers-on-the-Frontlines-of-Helene-10.23.24.pdf.

Click for the PDF version of this release

Oct. 16, 2024 – Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on infrastructure, homes, and businesses across Western North Carolina, and severely impacted Western N.C. Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the patients they serve.

Helene Impact on CHCs: Several Western North Carolina health centers experienced significant damage to facilities, including:

• Blue Ridge Health,
• High Country Community Health,
• Mountain Community Health Partnership, and
• WestLife Wellness

These health center property losses have a heavy impact on community access to care. For instance, High Country Community Health lost a dental clinic with seven exam chairs, which was the only local place for uninsured people to seek affordable dental care in Avery County.

NCCHCA CEO Chris Shank with Blue Ridge Health CEO Dr. Hudspeth

At least seven other health center organizations in the impacted area – including Western North Carolina Community Health Services and Appalachian Mountain Health, both serving the Asheville area, and Hot Springs Health Program serving Madison County, have experienced moderate to severe operational disruptions due to utility outages and other storm-related impacts.

Health Care Heroes Respond to Crisis

While suffering immense property and personal losses due to this unprecedented natural disaster, CHC staff rose to bring care to communities in need during this unprecedented natural disaster by:

• Volunteering to care for people living in temporary shelters and patients evacuated to the Hickory airport from other facilities
• Performing door-to-door well checks in public housing and senior housing communities
• Working quickly to reopen clinics and pharmacies, and to connect patients with needed medicine and supplies, even making deliveries to patients in some areas by ATV
• Bringing mobile health units into hard-hit rural communities with care providers and supplies

Health center staff continue to provide comprehensive medical, mental health care, and dental care to impacted communities, while also working to connect patients to food, medicine, water, and other essential supplies.

“Community Health Centers have shown incredible resilience and commitment to their communities,” said Chris Shank, President & CEO of NCCHCA. “Even as many of them dealt with personal and professional losses, they remained focused on providing life-saving care to the people who rely on them.”

See more examples of how NC Community Health Centers stepped into the breach to serve their communities after Helene in this PDF.

Short- and Long-Term Recovery Needs

While CHCs continue to deliver essential services, the scale of the devastation and the impact of disrupted operations means long-term financial support will be essential to support local recovery – and to retain the rural health care workforce in North Carolina.

• Immediate relief funding is needed to restore full operations, replace equipment, and support patients and staff who have lost everything. With closures impacting cash flow, nonprofit Community Health Centers also need adequate resources to maintain the rural health care workforce so impacted communities aren’t left without the providers they depend on while they recover.
• Long term recovery funding, including for capital needs and future resilience, will be necessary to restore and sustain availability of essential health services in the region. Without critical investments, we anticipate significant long-term impacts on provider recruitment and retention, provider wellness, availability of mental health services, and access to housing and jobs for our patient populations.

WNCCHS Pharmacy after reopening

“We are grateful for the immediate support we’ve received, but the road to recovery is long,” Shank said. “We call on state and federal leaders to provide additional resources to help rebuild the health care infrastructure in Western North Carolina.”

NCCHCA and CHC Response

NCCHCA has been coordinating closely with impacted health centers, as well as state and federal agencies to advocate for health centers and connect them with critical supplies. The Association has also submitted a request to the North Carolina General Assembly for a relief funding package to support long-term Health Center recovery.

Supported by partners and other community health centers in the state like Kintegra Health, which donated use of its mobile unit and its warehouse for supply collection and distribution, NCCHCA will continue its work to ensure health centers have the resources and support needed to continue their work.

CHC Disaster Relief Fund

To support ongoing recovery, NCCHCA has launched a group CHC Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to health centers and their staff as they rebuild. Donations to the NCCHCA Disaster Relief Fund will reach multiple impacted health centers with needed resources as they continue providing affordable medical and mental health care, medications, and hope to impacted communities.

Media Contact: Stacie Borrello, Communications and External Affairs Manager, borrellos@nccha.org

Stakeholders of THIS-NC pictured at Aug. 15 ribbon cutting event at First Choice Community Health Centers in Lillington.

A new health research organization with a mission of advancing health equity held its inaugural event, a ribbon cutting celebration at First Choice Community Health Centers in Lillington, on Thursday, August 15 from 2:00-3:30pm.

Known by the acronym THIS-NC (The Translational Health Institute of the Safety Net in North Carolina), the nonprofit organization partners with safety net providers to support equity in health research and quality improvement projects that are driven by the communities that they serve.

Dr. Becca Hayes, THIS-NC ribbon cutting

“THIS-NC formed from the drive to value lived experiences and elevate community voices. We believe that communities know what they need and have the best solutions for any challenge,” said Dr. Becca Hayes, Director of Health Research Equity at the North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA), a main collaborator on the THIS-NC launch. “We support communities by capturing the voices of diverse populations who are often overlooked, including racial and ethnic minority groups, rural residents, and members of the LGBTQ community.”

Along with NCCHCA, which supports First Choice Community Health Centers and other Federally Qualified Health Centers in North Carolina, THIS-NC is affiliated with the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the North Carolina School Based Health Alliance, Rural Health Centers, North Carolina Central University research programs, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. THIS-NC plans to work with these partners to support health equity in marginalized North Carolina communities by co-developing sustainable, data-driven solutions to improve health access and outcomes through community-based research and education.

First Choice Community Health Centers This-NC event

“I look forward to THIS-NC being a community-engaged organization that provides an inclusive and equitable approach to research that involves safety-net providers working in close partnership with the communities they serve,” said Chris Shank, President and CEO of NCCHCA.

Joining Ms. Shank and Dr. Hayes at the THIS-NC ribbon cutting were April Cook, Board Chair of THIS-NC and CEO of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC); Sheila Simmons, CEO of First Choice Community Health Centers; Deepak Kumar, PhD, Associate Provost and Dean of Research and Sponsored Programs at North Carolina Central University; and Kathryn Ferguson, Board Chair of First Choice Community Health Centers.

North Carolina State Senator Jim Burgin (R- Harnett, Lee, Sampson) also accepted an invitation to attend the ribbon-cutting as an honored guest and elected official overseeing Lillington and Harnett County, where THIS-NC is based.

About This-NC:

Our Vision is to be the partner of choice for North Carolina’s historically underrepresented populations, safety-net providers, study sponsors, and funders invested in clinical trial and clinical care equity and serve as a model nationally.

About NCCHCA:

The North Carolina Community Health Center Association represents 43 Community Health Center (CHC) organizations that operate over 500 clinical sites in 85 N.C. counties, and served more than 752,000 patients in 2022. CHCs are federally funded, nonprofits organizations that have a mission of providing integrated primary, dental, and behavioral health care to underserved and rural communities, without regard for insurance status or ability to pay.

About First Choice Health Center:

First Choice Community Health Centers (FCCHC) was established in 1979 as a non-profit community health center and certified as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). FCCHC is dedicated to providing primary health care and dental services to the underserved citizens of Harnett and surrounding counties. The mission of First Choice Community Health Centers is to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services, with excellence and compassion, for the entire community.

MEDIA ADVISORY

(Open PDF Version)

What: Ribbon Cutting Celebration for ‘THIS-NC,’ a NC-Based Nonprofit Health Equity Research Organization (Private Event with Press Access)
When: Thursday August 15, 2:00-3:30PM
Where: First Choice Community Health Centers, Lillington, NC
Contacts: Dr. Becca Hayes, NCCHCA Director of Health Equity Research | Ben Porco, Executive Assistant to the NCCHCA CEO and Board Liaison | 919-632-5812

The Translational Health Institute of the Safety Net in North Carolina (THIS-NC) Celebrates Ribbon Cutting at First Choice Community Health Centers in Lillington

A new health research organization with a mission of advancing health equity will hold its inaugural event, a ribbon cutting celebration at First Choice Community Health Centers in Lillington, on Thursday, August 15 from 2:00-3:30pm. Known by the acronym THIS-NC (The Translational Health Institute of the Safety Net in North Carolina), the nonprofit organization partners with safety net providers to support equity in health research and quality improvement projects that are driven by the communities that they serve.

“THIS-NC formed from the drive to value lived experiences and elevate community voices. We believe that communities know what they need and have the best solutions for any challenge,” said Dr. Becca Hayes, Director of Health Research Equity at the North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA), a main collaborator on the THIS-NC launch. “We support communities by capturing the voices of diverse populations who are often overlooked, including racial and ethnic minority groups, rural residents, and members of the LGBTQ community.”

Along with NCCHCA, which supports First Choice Community Health Centers and other Federally Qualified Health Centers in North Carolina, THIS-NC is affiliated with the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the North Carolina School Based Health Alliance, Rural Health Centers, North Carolina Central University research programs, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. THIS-NC plans to work with these partners to support health equity in marginalized North Carolina communities by co-developing sustainable, data-driven solutions to improve health access and outcomes through community-based research and education.

“I look forward to THIS-NC being a community-engaged organization that provides an inclusive and equitable approach to research that involves safety-net providers working in close partnership with the communities they serve,” said Chris Shank, President and CEO of NCCHCA.

Joining Ms. Shank and Dr. Hayes at the THIS-NC ribbon cutting are April Cook, Board Chair of THIS-NC and CEO of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC); Sheila Simmons, CEO of First Choice Community Health Centers; Deepak Kumar, PhD, Associate Provost and Dean of Research and Sponsored Programs at North Carolina Central University; and Kathryn Ferguson, Board Chair of First Choice Community Health Centers. North Carolina State Senator Jim Burgin (R- Harnett, Lee, Sampson) has also accepted an invitation to attend the ribbon-cutting as an honored guest and elected official overseeing Lillington and Harnett County, where THIS-NC will be based.

This event is open to the media with prior authorization. Please contact Ben Porco at 919-632-5812 for access details.

About This-NC:
Our Vision is to be the partner of choice for North Carolina’s historically underrepresented populations, safety-net providers, study sponsors, and funders invested in clinical trial and clinical care equity and serve as a model nationally.

About NCCHCA:
The North Carolina Community Health Center Association represents 43 Community Health Center (CHC) organizations that operate over 500 clinical sites in 85 N.C. counties, and served more than 752,000 patients in 2022. CHCs are federally funded, nonprofits organizations that have a mission of providing integrated primary, dental, and behavioral health care to underserved and rural communities, without regard for insurance status or ability to pay.

About First Choice Health Center:
First Choice Community Health Centers (FCCHC) was established in 1979 as a non-profit community health center and certified as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). FCCHC is dedicated to providing primary health care and dental services to the underserved citizens of Harnett and surrounding counties. The mission of First Choice Community Health Centers is to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services, with excellence and compassion, for the entire community.

Health Center leaders and providers from across the state work to engage stakeholders and build relationships that support the health center’s growth and capacity to serve more patients. We appreciate the time that our North Carolina policymakers took this Spring to tour our health centers and talk with providers about ways to expand access to integrated care. Thanks to U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, NC DHHS Sec. Kody Kinsley, NC Sen. Steve Jarvis, NC Sen. Sydney Batch, NC Sen. Benton Sawrey, NC Sen. Dan Blue, NC Sen. Kevin Corbin (not pictured), NC Rep. Erin Paré, NC Rep. Larry Potts, and NC Rep. Tim Reeder for their visits and support.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) – aka Community Health Centers (CHCs) – are patient-governed nonprofits that provide patient-centered, integrated, comprehensive primary care for rural and underserved patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. In 2022, NC’s Community Health Centers served more than 752,000 patients in 85 counties.

Search for community health centers near you.

In the video below, Carolina Family Health Centers‘ Chief Dental Officer Hilary Patterson, DMD, and Jessica Ezzell, RDH, talk about how participating in a CareQuest Institute initiative helped the center provide oral health care to children through a school-based dental program. Patterson also dives into how taking the Institute’s Value-Based Care Readiness Assessment was a great starting point to transition to a value-based care and payment model.

For more, see CareQuest’s article “FQHC Improves Access to Care Through School-Based Program,” which details how Carolina Family Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) Initiative participant, launched a school-based program to bring preventative oral health care and education to students. They are also beginning the transition to value-based and minimally invasive care.

MEDIA ADVISORY: THURSDAY, MAY 9, 8:00AM-5:00PM

Second Annual Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Conference

Co-Hosted by North Carolina Central University and North Carolina Community Health Center Association

Register at this link.

VENUE: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT CENTER, 500 NELSON ST., DURHAM, N.C. 27707

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and North Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA) will host the 2^nd annual Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Conference (also known as the Medication Assisted Treatment Conference) at the NCCU Student Center in Durham on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, more than 28,000 North Carolinians lost their lives to drug overdose from 2000-2020.

With a focus on expanding treatment access to address opioid use disorder, the one-day conference will bring together over 100 attendees, ranging from behavioral health providers to senior leadership and staff from NCCU, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, EMS, harm reduction, free and charitable clinics, and other NC safety-net partners, to discuss the latest on providing effective and equitable MOUD (Medication for Opioid Use Disorder) services.

View the event program here.

Registration is required. Members of the press can inquire with the contacts listed above about limited access to the event and/or interviews with presenters or spokespeople.

CONTACT: Stacie Borrello, Communications and External Affairs Manager, North Carolina Community Health Center Association

About MOUD / MAT

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) or Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and other therapeutic techniques, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Medications relieve the withdrawal systems and psychological cravings that cause chemical imbalances in the body. Research has shown that when provided at the proper dose, medications used in MAT have no adverse effects on a person’s intelligence, mental capability, or physical functioning.

About NCCHCA

The North Carolina Community Health Center Association represents 43 Community Health Center (CHC) organizations that operate over 500 clinical sites in 88 N.C. counties and served 752,000 patients in 2021. CHCs are federally funded, nonprofits organizations that have a mission of providing integrated primary, dental, and behavioral health care to underserved and rural communities, without regard for insurance status or ability to pay.

About North Carolina Central University

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University, NCCU offers flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing and the arts. Founded in 1910 and located in the Research Triangle Region, NCCU remains committed to diversity in and access to higher education. NCCU is a leader in the scientific study of health disparities and provides students with the opportunity to gain laboratory skills and experience working with faculty researchers and pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry professionals in two, state-of-the-art research institutes that are housed on campus. For more information, visit www.nccu.edu or call (919) 530-6100.