National Association of Community Health Centers

National Association of Community Health Centers The leading voice for the nation's 1,700+ Community Health Centers, providing innovative and high-quality healthcare without turning anyone away.

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08/19/2026

has left us inspired and focused on what’s next for Community Health Centers and the future of primary care.

For NACHC’s Grassroots Advocacy and Communications teams, that means the : a national effort to double investment in primary care, double its reach starting with Community Health Centers, and double the next generation primary care workforce.

It’s a big goal and one that matters deeply to all of us because when people have access to primary care, they are more likely to get preventive services, manage chronic conditions early, avoid unnecessary emergency room visits, and experience better overall health outcomes—no matter their income or zip code.

Learn more and join the movement: https://bit.ly/PrimaryCareTripleDouble

From connected care and innovation to recognizing leaders of the Community Health Center movement and elevating the voic...
08/18/2026

From connected care and innovation to recognizing leaders of the Community Health Center movement and elevating the voices of patient board members, today’s closing General Session at covered a lot of ground.

The session kicked off with “Connected Care: EHRs, Diagnostics, and Data in Community Health Centers,” a conversation on connected care and technology at Community Health Centers.

The conversation featured:

Brian Caveney, MD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, Labcorp | Keith Dipboye, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, eClinicalWorkss | Nele Jessel, MD, Chief Medical Officer, athenahealth | Robert Murry, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, NextGen Healthcare | Isaiah Nathaniel, CPHIMS, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Delaware Valley Community Health; CIO Executive Advisor, NACHC (Moderator)

👏 We also celebrated two leaders whose work has made an impact on the Community Health Center movement.

Melvin Joseph Dizon, Licensed Medical Social Worker and Service Coordinator at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, received NACHC’s Outstanding Achievement Award, recognizing his clinical impact, innovation in integrated behavioral health, and commitment to community-driven care.

James Schultz, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Neighborhood Healthcare, received NACHC’s Research Award for his work expanding patient access to innovative medical care and clinical trials. Rakesh Patel, MD, CEO of Neighborhood Healthcare, accepted the award on his behalf.

The session concluded with a fireside chat highlighting the patient-majority board model that is central to Community Health Center governance.

The fireside chat featured:

Scott Alarcon, FACHE, Board Chair, Lone Star Circle of Care | Ginger Fuata, Consumer/Board Member Representative, NACHC Board of Directors; Board Chair, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center | Hiroshi Nakano, Board Member, International Community Health Services (ICHS) | Gina Capra, MPA, Chief Education Officer, NACHC (Moderator)

A fitting way to close out three days of learning, connection, and conversations about the future of Community Health Centers and primary care. 💙

08/18/2026

At , we explored the power of partnership between Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the Divine Nine.

The session, “Bridging Communities Through Partnership with the Divine Nine to Advance Health Care for All,” highlighted how trusted messengers, community engagement, education, and advocacy can help extend the reach of CHCs and connect more people to care.

NACHC and Labcorp are joining forces through a new strategic alliance to strengthen clinical leadership, support practic...
08/18/2026

NACHC and Labcorp are joining forces through a new strategic alliance to strengthen clinical leadership, support practice improvement, and advance community health across the nation’s Community Health Centers (CHCs). Together, we’ll bring our respective expertise to help CHCs enhance healthcare delivery and improve outcomes for the 52.3 million patients they serve across the country.

A key part of the collaboration is the launch of the NACHC Leadership Exchange for Chief Medical Officers — a new leadership development program designed to support current and emerging clinical leaders through executive development, peer mentorship, and practical learning opportunities.

“Through this alliance with Labcorp, we are creating new opportunities for clinicians to share best practices and advance innovative approaches that will help health centers improve outcomes for the patients and communities they serve,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, President and CEO of NACHC.

We’re grateful to Labcorp for its partnership and investment in the future of CHC leadership.

➡️ Learn more: https://bit.ly/NACHCxLabcorp

What does it mean to care for the whole person—beyond the exam room?That question was at the heart of today’s General Se...
08/18/2026

What does it mean to care for the whole person—beyond the exam room?

That question was at the heart of today’s General Session at , as leaders explored how Community Health Centers and their partners are supporting healthier people, families and communities through literacy, school-based care, nutrition, connection and whole-person care.

NACHC President and CEO Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, kicked off the morning with a special appearance from Sesame Street’s Honkers and highlighted NACHC’s partnership with Sesame Workshop and Abbott to help Community Health Centers build healthy habits for children, caregivers and providers nationwide.

Dr. Rhee then moderated “Beyond the Exam Room: Growing Healthy Readers and Learners” with Lynette Fraga, PhD, CEO of Reach Out and Read, and Robert Boyd, MCRP, MDiv, President and Chief Executive Officer of the School-Based Health Alliance. Their conversation explored the intersection of health and education, from early literacy to bringing health care directly into schools.

Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, Founder and President of The Foundation for Art & Healing, continued the conversation with remarks on connection, creative expression, health and well-being.

The morning also marked an exciting milestone: the launch of NACHC’s new Center for Nutrition and Health.

Dr. Rhee joined Melissa Brotz, Senior Vice President, Abbott and President, Abbott Fund, and Kofi Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP, Food as Medicine Director at Elevance Health, for “Food for Health: Building Partnerships to Improve Community Health,” exploring how Community Health Centers and partners can work together to sustainably integrate food and nutrition into whole-person care.

Wayne Jonas, MD, President and Founder of Healing Works Foundation, closed out the session with remarks on making whole-person, integrative care a regular part of health care.

Thank you to all of today’s speakers and partners for helping us look beyond the exam room and explore new ways to support the health of the communities Community Health Centers serve.

We’re excited to launch the Center for Nutrition and Health, NACHC’s new innovation hub dedicated to advancing sustainab...
08/17/2026

We’re excited to launch the Center for Nutrition and Health, NACHC’s new innovation hub dedicated to advancing sustainable Food for Health (F4H) initiatives at Community Health Centers (CHCs) across the country.

“Food as medicine has been a pillar of Community Health Centers since Dr. Jack Geiger wrote food prescriptions at the very first health center in Mississippi back in 1965,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, President and CEO of NACHC. “I am thrilled to launch the Center for Nutrition and Health and expand NACHC’s support for the CHCs that serve 52.3 million patients nationwide. Access to nutritious, affordable food and nutrition education is essential to advancing whole-person care.”

The Center will strengthen CHCs’ capacity to prevent and manage nutrition-related chronic diseases and sustainably integrate F4H into care.

We’re grateful to Elevance Health Foundation and Abbott for their partnership and support in advancing this work. Together, these partnerships are helping NACHC better understand the F4H landscape, identify opportunities to strengthen and sustain nutrition-focused care, and equip CHCs to expand their impact in communities across the country.

➡️ Read the full announcement: https://bit.ly/F4H_PR

What a way to open ! 🎉Today’s Opening General Session brought the Community Health Center movement together in Las Vega...
08/17/2026

What a way to open ! 🎉

Today’s Opening General Session brought the Community Health Center movement together in Las Vegas for an afternoon focused on the power of primary care—and the work ahead to strengthen it for communities across the country.

NACHC President and CEO Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, welcomed attendees to NACHC’s largest CHI ever and looked ahead to the future of Community Health Centers and primary care, including the : doubling investment in primary care, doubling its reach beginning with Community Health Centers, and doubling the next generation of the primary care workforce.

We were honored to hear remarks from Stacie Weeks, JD, MPH, Director of the Nevada Health Authority; Felix Valbuena Jr MD, Chair of the NACHC Board of Directors and CEO of Community Health & Social Service Center (CHASS Center); and Thomas J. Engels, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

We also celebrated Jasmin Chapman, DDS, CEO of Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center (JHCHC), with NACHC’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her more than 47 years of service to the Community Health Center movement. 👏

Dr. Rhee also sat down with Daniel Brillman, Director of Medicaid and CHIP and Deputy Administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), for a fireside chat exploring Medicaid, primary care, workforce, value-based care, rural health, technology, and the role Community Health Centers can play in strengthening care for the patients and communities they serve.

James Hotz, MD, MACP; Dr. Sheena Favors, DO, MS, FACOOG; and Shelley Spires, MSM, CEO of Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc. (AAPHC), joined Angelique Wilkins, MPS, EVP, External Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at NACHC, for a conversation on strengthening the primary care pipeline in rural America—from recruiting and retaining providers to expanding access and preparing the next generation of the primary care workforce.

And that was just the beginning! We’re looking forward to two more days of learning, connection, and conversations about the future of Community Health Centers and primary care.

If you were in the room, what was your biggest takeaway from today’s Opening General Session? 👇

08/17/2026

Day 1 of is in the books!

From education sessions and new ideas to conversations and connections throughout The Neighborhood, Community Health Center leaders from across the country came together in Las Vegas to learn from one another, celebrate how far we’ve come, and look ahead to what’s next.

This year, NACHC celebrates 55 years of supporting and advocating for the Community Health Center movement—and today was a powerful reminder that our work continues to move forward because of the people who make this movement what it is.

And we’re thinking big about where we go from here.

The is a roadmap for a stronger primary care system: double the investment in primary care, double its reach beginning with Community Health Centers, and double the primary care workforce.

Day 1 was just the beginning. See you tomorrow, !

08/16/2026

Communications and advocacy staff from Community Health Centers across the country were up bright and early for the NACHC Communications and Advocacy Network (NACHC CAN) Breakfast at ! ☀️

This morning was all about connection and collaboration—exchanging ideas on advocacy and storytelling, sharing wins and challenges, and learning from colleagues who are working every day to elevate the voices and impact of Community Health Centers.

There’s a lot we can learn from one another, and NACHC CAN helps bring this community of communicators and advocates together to strengthen our collective voice.

🎉 NACHC’s 2026 Community Health Conference (CHI) kicks off today in Las Vegas! Over the next three days, Community Heal...
08/16/2026

🎉 NACHC’s 2026 Community Health Conference (CHI) kicks off today in Las Vegas!

Over the next three days, Community Health Center leaders, partners, and advocates from across the country will come together to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and explore innovative strategies to strengthen the nation’s largest primary care system.

From workforce and technology to policy, partnerships, and new models of care, is all about moving Community Health Centers forward and building the future of community-based primary care.

📍 Are you here in Las Vegas and ready for ? Drop a comment below and let us know! 👇

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