2024 Intro to CHC Program

This broad overview of the Health Center Program will lay the foundation for the in-depth content you will receive throughout the two-day training, providing valuable background on what a health center is and how to become part of the Health Center Program. HRSA staff will also address your questions in an interactive Q&A.

Continuous compliance with HRSA’s expectations is central to the Health Center Program and critical to your health center’s success. This session will provide an orientation to the Health Center Program Requirements and HRSA Compliance Manual. You will also learn what to expect during HRSA’s operational site visit (OSV) and how to prepare for not just a successful OSV but a state of continuous compliance as well

Conducting a community needs assessment is an important compliance requirement, as is engaging in long-range strategic planning. This session will cover HRSA requirements, tools, and methods for conducting a comprehensive needs assessment; HRSA expectations around and fundamentals of strategic planning; and some ways you can use your needs assessment to inform the strategic planning process, decision-making around service delivery and scope, and more. You will leave this session more prepared to connect the needs of your community to your health center’s overall strategy and operations.

Your health center’s scope of project defines what your health center does and what your approved budget can cover. This session will describe the five key elements of scope of project – sites, services, providers, service area, and target population–and provide strategies for determining your health center’s scope. Specifically, this session will walk you through Forms 5A, 5B, and 5C, discuss changes in scope, and answer all your scope questions in an interactive Q&A session.

Ensuring you have the optimal team in position is crucial for effectively delivering your services, offering exceptional customer care, and achieving your organizational objectives. In this session, we will concentrate on the staffing aspects of your health center, with a particular emphasis on HRSA Compliance Manual sections related to staffing. During this session, we will delve into various factors to consider when assembling your essential management team, non-clinical personnel, and clinical staff. Topics will include staff composition, productivity, and diverse care team models. Furthermore, the session will provide insights into effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, and training your workforce

This training session will educate health center leaders on the compliance requirements on the sliding fee discount program, financial management and accounting systems, billing and collections, and budget. By the end of this session, health center leaders will be equipped with the necessary knowledge to ensure compliance with the sliding fee discount program, effectively manage financial systems, streamline billing and collections processes, and develop sound budgets that support organizational goals.

Governance is a fundamental and defining aspect of the Health Center Program. Health center boards are unique because federal law requires 51% of board members to be patients of the center, which helps the center be responsive to patient and community needs. This session will provide clarity about the roles and responsibilities of a health center board, describe characteristics of high-performing boards, and outline strategies for health center leadership and staff to partner successfully with their board