Our Mission
Medically Underserved Have Access to Affordable, Quality Healthcare.
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CEO Update
Randy Jordan, CEO
Smile When You Say Health Equity
 
My trips to the dentist have not always been filled with pleasant memories. I remember while in college having all four wisdom teeth removed in one setting. Yikes! Then, there was the time I had my first dental appointment after a number of years of not going at all and I had nine cavities that needed to be filled. Yes, nine cavities! I could go on and on about the deep scaling that lead to a lifetime of dental flossing, but the bigger point is that I’ve had options for high quality dental care and the chance for good oral health throughout my life. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many North Carolinians. Dental access shortage areas have been identified in many of our state’s 100 counties and oral health for historically marginalized populations is another important part of the health equity discussion.
 
So, why do I suggest that you smile when you say health equity? It’s because one more time NC’s free and charitable clinics are stepping up to meet the need. Nineteen of NCAFCC’s Members already have dental operatories within their clinics and, in fact, two of them are dental only clinics. And I’m aware of plans by at least three Members to expand their operations this year to include oral health services. The Association is joining in too by helping 12 clinics gain approval from the NC State Board of Dental Examiners to allow limited supervision of their dental hygienists. This important step will allow dental hygienists to provide core services to uninsured patients with greater cost efficiency. There is so much interest in oral health that we are planning a virtual convening of all clinics interested in this topic later this year. All of this just makes me smile – knowing that free and charitable clinics are once again on the forefront of addressing one of North Carolina’s greatest health inequities – oral health.
NCAFCC Annual Members' Meeting
September, 8, 2021
Virtual Zoom Meeting
1 - 4:00 pm


Our Journey to Health Equity

Our Topics

Social Drivers of Health: 
How They Impact Health and How Can Free and Charitable Clinics Address Them
Ronny Bell, PhD, MS

Health Equity by Design Not Default
Rumay Alexander, EdD, RN, FAAN

NCAFCC Health Equity Journey Begins
Kimberly Alexander, MPH
Shelisa Howard-Martinez, MPA EHRD    

Zoom link to be sent closer to the date of the meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: All staff, volunteers, board members and other key people associated with your clinic are invited and encouraged to attend.

Presented in partnership with Northwest AHEC of Wake Forest School of Medicine and part of the NC AHEC program. Additional support is provided from Americares, CareMessage, ECHO and TCI Software.
Our Speakers
Kimberly Alexander, MPH
Principal and Co-Founder
The Alexander Group
Shelisa Howard-Martinez, MPA EHRD
Health Equity Technical Assistance Coordinator
Chronic Disease and Injury Section
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Ronny Bell, PhD, MS
Professor, Social Sciences and Health Policy
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Director, Office of Cancer Health Equity
Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
Rumay Alexander, EdD, RN, FAAN
Professor-School of Nursing
Asst. Dean for Relational Excellence
Former Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion/CDO
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Registration is Now Open. Click the button below to register. All staff, volunteers and board members are invited to attend. Each person should register individually. Zoom link to be sent closer to the date of the meeting.

Registration Deadline: Monday, September 6.
There is no registration fee.
Quality & Clinical Support Update
Cindy Jones, Director of Quality & Clinical Support
NCAFCC Announces Health Equity Grant Awards
We are pleased to announce the five award winners for “Addressing the Impact of Health Disparity and Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic” funding opportunity.
·        Albemarle Hospital Foundation – Community Care Clinic, Elizabeth City
·        Care Ring, Charlotte
·        Community Care Clinic of Dare, Nags Head
·        Hunger & Health Coalition, Boone
·        Surry Medical Ministries, Mt. Airy

This funding opportunity was made available largely by grant funding provided to NCAFCC by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. We are fortunate to have supporters that understand the important role of implementing health equity principles as we address health disparities among the underserved people in our state.

We are gratified that twenty-five Member organizations applied for this competitive grant. The applications were reviewed by independent reviewers selected from statewide institutions that have demonstrated a special focus on health equity. We look forward to what we will learn as the results of the grant awardees interventions are revealed in the coming year.
 
NCAFCC Accreditation
Congratulations to Community Care Center of Forsyth County in Winston Salem and Community Care Clinic of Rowan County in Salisbury, both clinics re-established their accreditation status in July.

View the NCAFCC Accreditation Program in the Members Only portion of our website.
 
OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for Healthcare Settings
Just one more reminder that on June 21 OSHA published the COVID-19 ETS for workers in healthcare settings. Please review the standard and resources to determine how this may be applicable to your organization.

Our Journey to Health Equity
What's Going On?

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New Infographic Available for Your Use
Our infographic has been updated and is available for your use to highlight your 2020 statistics. There are different versions on the website in the Members Only section. Be sure to select the Member infographic and there is also one available for accredited members.

We are happy to customize it for you by inserting your logo and clinic statistics. Simply email your mark@ncafcc.org to get started.
2020 Annual Outcomes Report is now available to review. Click here to read the report.
Share Your News
NCAFCC is working with Coburn Communications in Charlotte to help us refine our key messages and develop opportunities to share the story of North Carolina’s free and charitable clinics through the news media, our own newsletter, and other channels. The association is working with Coburn Communications to increase awareness of clinics and the NCAFCC. You can assist us by 1) sending any articles or other ways you're receiving media coverage to Mark 2) adding Mark (mark@ncafcc.org) to your newsletter distribution lists. 3) letting Mark know if you have a Facebook page so we can follow you and share your posts. Help us help you.

NCAFCC Member Clinics Shine Brightly Across the Country and North Carolina

Congratulations to Community Care Clinic of Rowan County and Grace Clinic of Yadkin Valley for being only two of six clinics nationwide to receive a grant from BD, Heart to Heart International and the NAFC through the Point of Care, Enhancing Clinical Effectiveness (PoCECE) program. This grant provides them with a comprehensive Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment-waived point-of-care test system. Read more here.

Congratulations also goes to Community Care Clinic of Dare for being selected to participate in a pilot project to address climate risks to operations and human health, improving patient care. This project is being led by the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Americares with support from Biogen. It will identify, support, and prepare clinics to address climate-related impacts on health and healthcare delivery to help buffer risks to the patients they serve and improve health outcomes. Read more here.

Governor's Award for Volunteer Service
Melanie Jones, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, has been recognized with the Governors' Award for Volunteer Service. This honor was given to Melanie for the countless volunteer hours and leadership she has provided in Cashiers. This quote from Melanie sums up how she is making a difference. “We do small things because small things seem to matter to people who want to dream big—dream of education, of getting out of poverty, of having a warm meal, of having a compassionate, diverse, and kind community.” Read the entire story by going here.

Covid-19 Resources

Americares has provided information in English and Spanish about the CDC's recommendation that fully vaccinated individuals get tested after exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Americares has also provided information in English and Spanish about the CDC's new mask recommendation due to the increase in number of Covid cases.


For Members of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics
2021 GoodRx Helps Medication Assistance Program
 
The NAFC is excited to share that we are partnering once again with GoodRx to offer our members the ability to obtain chronic disease medication assistance for their patients.
Year 2 of the GoodRx Helps Medication Assistance Program will run for one year. If selected as one of the next 25 program grantees, you will be able to enroll 20 new patients every month to the program. Patients will receive six months of free prescription medications delivered to their home or clinic. Selected patients may receive up to three prescription medications with a maximum total cost of $100 per month (according to GoodRx prices). Patients must have household incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level to qualify for the program. Selected patients may receive up to three prescription medications with some restrictions.
Upcoming Meetings and Deadlines
August










September
11xxRegion 5 Meeting / 10 - 11:30 am

17xxRegion 2 Meeting / 10 - 11 am

18xxRegion 3 Meeting / 10 - 11 am

23xxRegion 4 meeting / 1 - 2 pm

26xxRegion 6 Meeting / 1 - 2 pm
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08xxNCAFCC Annual Meeting
Staff Members
Chief Executive Officer
ext. 104

Deputy Director
ext. 101
Director of Quality &
Clinical Support
ext. 103

COVID-19 Grant Manager
ext. 105
www.ncafcc.org
336-251-1111
Board of Directors
Board Chair
Tony Price
Moore Free and Charitable Clinic

Vice Chair
Krista Woolly, MS
Community Care Clinic of Rowan

Secretary
Janet Jarrett
Albemarle Hospital Foundation Community Care Clinic

Treasurer
John Price, MPA
ORH - Retired

April Cook, MBA, Past Chair, NCAFCC
Lake Norman Community Health Clinic

Sherri Fisher
The Good Samaritan Clinic of Morganton
Rosh Foskey

Andy Kurtzman, MHCA
Scotland Community Health Clinic

Sissy Lee-Elmore, MBA, MPA
WATCH Healthcare Program

Michael Lischke, EdD, MPH
Northwest AHEC
WFU School of Medicine

John Mills, CPC
ECHO
Community Partners
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