HCAN Annual Report 2024
We are pleased to present this year’s Health Center Association of Nebraska Annual Report. This report highlights the impactful work and progress made by our organization as we uphold our mission of Advancing the Health Center Movement.
Health Center Association of Nebraska (HCAN) is Nebraska’s non-profit Primary Care Association, representing the state’s seven Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), also known as community health centers.
For more information, visit hcanebraska.org
Report Board Chair’s
Tami Smith, HCAN Board Chair & CEO of Heartland Health Center
In 2024, Nebraska’s health centers served over 121,000 Nebraskans, including 7,500 individuals experiencing homelessness, over 2,400 agricultural workers, and over 40,000 children. Health centers continue to be an economic driver in the state, contributing $306 million to Nebraska’s economy, directly employing 1,200 Nebraskans, and saving Nebraska’s health care system $208 million annually. Collectively, health centers comprise one of the largest systems of primary health care in our state; and are the only statewide network that provides truly integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services, with supportive wrap-around services, under one roof.
Nebraska’s health centers provide care across 87 service locations, including mobile medical and dental services, school-based clinics, and services co-located with community partners like public health departments, homeless shelters, and public housing. Health centers continue to provide high quality care across the state.
Patient care does not begin and end with the health center visit. Nebraska’s health centers assisted over 71,000 individuals with enrollment in medical and economic assistance programs in 2024 and supported over 4,000 individuals with hygiene kits. Health centers also host farmers markets during the summer, provide access to legal services through medical-legal partnerships, and offer transportation assistance to ensure patients can make it to their appointments.
As we look to 2025, HCAN’s role as a guide and resource is more vital than ever. Federal funding has not increased since 2015, but due to more patients being served and rising medical inflation, per-capita funding has decreased by $2.1 billion. Funding to expand health center access points hasn’t been available since 2019, yet nearly 400,000 Nebraskans lack an adequate source of health care. Restrictions placed on 340B contract pharmacies have diminished access to lifesaving, affordable medication and resulted in severe financial strain on health centers. Using our collective voice to elevate the needs of health centers and the communities we serve is more important than ever.
It has been my honor to serve as the HCAN Board Chair for the last year, and I look forward to continued partnership among all of our health centers as we continue to expand access to crucial health care and support services for all Nebraskans.
HCAN Board of Directors
Tami Smith, Board Chair, Heartland Health Center
Terri Ford-Wolfgram, Vice Board Chair, Good Neighbor Community Health Center
Kenny McMorris, Secretary-Treasurer, Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
Brad Meyer, Bluestem Health
Kathy Nordby, Midtown Health Center
Andrea Skolkin, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc.
Betsy Vidlak, Community Action Health Center
Joel Dougherty, All Care Health Center (Associate Member)
Mark Donaldson, Siouxland Community Health Center (Associate Member)
Are Who We
Our Mission
To Advance the Health Center Movement
Our Vision Access, health, and well-being for ALL
• Accountable to Outcomes
• Trusted Thought Leader
• Health Equity Champions
• Intentionally Create Change
What We Do
Health Center Association of Nebraska (HCAN) is Nebraska’s Primary Care Association and is dedicated to expanding and enhancing access to quality, community-responsive care at Nebraska’s health centers. Through our collaborative approach, we bring together healthcare providers, community partners, government and legislature, and other stakeholders to address the root causes of health disparities and create lasting solutions. HCAN plays a crucial role in empowering and strengthening community health centers by serving as a supportive partner and advocate for positive change in community health.
HCAN promotes healthcare workforce development, recruitment and retention so that staff are positioned as key contributors to the health and well-being of their local communities. Through technical assistance and training opportunities such as conferences, webinars, and peer groups, HCAN serves as a respected, trusted thought leader on primary care and community health issues.
Centered Care Patient
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), also known as community health centers, are non-profit, community-directed primary care clinics providing care for everyone. They are a cornerstone to the health and vitality of our community by providing medical, behavioral health and dental care. Community health centers are a vital community resource to promote wellness and provide quality healthcare to all. In 2023, Nebraska’s health centers served over 121,000 unduplicated patients with integrated primary care, preventative services, chronic disease management, and support services addressing medical, dental, and behavioral health needs as well as enabling services.
121,271
Total Patients Served at Health Centers
397,836
Total Visits at Health Centers
39,598
Total Children Served at Health Centers
100,955
Total Medical Patients Served at Health Centers
26,171
12,482
Total Dental Patients Served at Health Centers
Total Behavioral Health Patients Served at Health Centers
Review Year in
By the Numbers
71,024 Assists by Outreach and Enrollment staff
1,830 Attendees at HCAN trainings
18,187 Medicaid & Marketplace Enrollments in 2024 136 Number of HCAN trainings
4,400 Dental kits distributed
4,000 Hygiene kits distributed
82 Medical Apprentices enrolled 15 HCAN Peer Learning Groups
HCAN’s Advancing the Health Center Movement Podcast
In 2024, HCAN introduced the Advancing the Health Center Movement Podcast, a podcast dedicated to showcasing the crucial work of community health centers. This year’s podcasts featured conversations with experts, healthcare professionals, and advocates. We dove into various aspects of the health center world, from workforce development and public health initiatives to innovative care models and the impact of policy changes. We celebrated the dedicated professionals making a difference in the health center world. Listen and subscribe on Spotify to stay updated with our latest episodes.
4,000 Hygiene Kits Distributed
In 2024, HCAN packed and distributed 4,000 hygiene kits for individuals in need and distributed them to the Outreach & Enrollment departments across the health centers. Each kit contained essential items like shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush and more-ensuring that everyone has access to the tools they need to stay healthy and confident. We are grateful for the support of Medica and our HCAN annual sponsors who made this possible.
Outreach and Enrollment Leadership Workshop
In April 2024, HCAN hosted an Outreach and Enrollment Leadership Workshop. We brought together Outreach & Enrollment managers and leaders from across the health centers, providing networking opportunities and facilitated education to advance their leadership skills. This workshop allowed the leaders to learn from each other, learn more about their roles, build their networks, and work toward building their team culture.
2024 Nebraska Community Health Conference
Winners of the 2024 Exceptional Patient Care and Champion for Change Awards
HCAN hosted its 2024 Nebraska Community Health Conference: Connecting People, Transforming Health, in partnership with Heartland Community Health Network, this past September. On September 19th, attendees from the Nebraska and Iowa community health centers, key collaborative partners, exhibitors, and sponsors met in Lincoln to network and learn. A total of 123 attendees and 16 exhibitors attended the conference. Thank you to all participants!
HCAN’s 2024 Exceptional Patient Care Award was awarded to health center staff members who exemplified outstanding service and commitment to improving the health and well-being of their patients and communities. These staff continuously demonstrated exceptional contributions to the Community Health Center Movement through their service, leadership, and dedication to the health center mission.
In 2024, HCAN introduced the Champion for Change Award – recognizing leadership who are dedicated champions for change, advancing patient care through community health.
2024 Exceptional Patient Care Award Winners
Elisha “Ellie” Davison, Medical Assistant – Bluestem Health
Erin Stehlik, Dental Office Manager – Heartland Health Center
Keela VanGrinsven, Patient Resources Manager – Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
2024 Champion for Change Award Winners
Brian Penly, DDS, Dental Director – OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc.
David Seger, DDS, Chief Dental Officer – Midtown Health Center (not pictured)
HCAN Assister Fall Training
HCAN hosted its annual Assister Fall Training on October 17th and 18th, 2024, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Campus. Assisters (both Certified Application Counselors and Navigators) across the state were able to learn from Health Insurance Marketplace companies, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), DHHS and more! A total of 70 assisters attended the two-day event both in-person and virtually to prepare for Open Enrollment.
Advancing our
Workforce
Community health centers are at the center of providing high quality, affordable health care to Nebraska’s underserved populations in urban and rural communities across the state. The ability for health centers to create additional capacity to ensure access to services, especially in rural areas of the state, is limited by a shortage of providers and difficulty recruiting providers. That’s where HCAN can support health centers with programs to recruit and retain health center staff.
Through initiatives like the Medical Assistant (MA) Apprenticeship and Dental Assistant (DA) Pathways Program, HCAN is advancing the healthcare workforce by providing hands-on training, career advancement opportunities, and certifications that address staffing shortages. Designed with non-traditional students in mind, these programs provide health center staff with the tools and skills necessary to strengthen health centers and better serve their communities.
Project Access
In February 2023, Project Access was launched to help Nebraska’s community health centers address critical challenges in providing care to underserved populations across urban, rural, and frontier areas. The initiative focuses on increasing patient access by addressing provider shortages, improving clinic operations, and expanding capacity. By strengthening healthcare services and infrastructure, Project Access aims to ensure more Nebraskans receive the care they need.
Funding for Project Access is made possible through the generous support of the Centene Foundation, Nebraska Total Care, the Creighton Community Collaborative and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Nebraska. Their contributions reflect a shared commitment to improving healthcare access for all Nebraskans.
Project Access consists of the following four main components:
1. Recruitment and Retention: Support health centers with competitive compensation through sign-on bonuses, loan forgiveness, education, licensure, relocation aid, and innovative retention strategies.
2. Clinical Optimization: Fund initiatives to enhance patient access, like hiring consultants, upgrading tech, or improving scheduling to reduce no-shows and increase same/next-day appointments.
3. Capital Improvements: Expand access by adding physical capacity, growing telehealth, developing mobile programs, and advancing new projects to serve underserved populations.
4. Workforce Pipeline Development: Collaborate with stakeholders to address workforce shortages, attract talent to health centers and expand Nebraska’s health science graduate pool, focusing on health center-affiliated programs.
By 2024, as part of Project Access, Nebraska health centers achieved significant milestones, including offering sign-on bonuses and loan repayment for medical providers and dentists, acquiring a mobile unit to extend their service areas, providing radiology services on-site.
“Rising Star”: Supervisory Excellence Program
The transition from individual contributor to supervising staff can be difficult for new managers. In February 2024, HCAN developed a six-month training program to aid this transition, titled “Rising Star”: Supervisory Excellence Program. Participants completed 5 monthly online, self-paced learning modules of approximately 1 hour of content and 6 one-hour, live facilitated Zoom meetings to apply the learning modules. Topics covered include transitioning in to a leadership role, delegation, and conflict resolution. To date, a total of 47 health center staff have enrolled in the program representing all 7 Nebraska health centers and 2 Iowa associate members.
Peer Learning Networks
At HCAN’s Peer Learning Networks (PLNs), health center employees from across the state regularly come together to build relationships with peers in similar roles and engage in shared learning opportunities. These groups, facilitated by HCAN staff members, offer a mix of informal discussions, structured activities, and expert presentations.
This year’s PLNs achieved several notable milestones. A total of 15 separate peer groups met routinely throughout 2024, including groups focused on clinical quality, dental leadership, and emergency preparedness. In response to feedback, HCAN launched its newest group, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Peer Learning Group, to meet the needs of health center COOs.
Pipeline Development
Current health care professions students are future health center employees, so it is essential that the HCAN team does everything we can to ensure that students are aware of their health center career options. HCAN helps build a pipeline of future career center employees by attending hiring events, presenting in classrooms, and hosting interns. In 2024, the HCAN team attended a total of 17 hiring events on behalf of health centers at a mix of academic institutions and community organizations.
HCAN completed a total of 12 presentations about career opportunities at health centers for dental students at Creighton, public health students at UNMC and UNO, and nursing students at Western Nebraska Community College. The HCAN team contributes to building a pipeline of future health center employees by hosting students interns. Two student interns completed their experiences in 2024, and another is on track to begin in January 2025.
1021 N 27th St Lincoln, NE 68503 Kreshel
3100 N 14th St Lincoln, NE 68521
22,414
Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
Grant Street 2915 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68111
Radius 5030 Grand Avenue Omaha, NE 68104
Florence Tower 5100 Florence Boulevard Omaha, NE 68110
Metro 5319 N 30th St Suite A Omaha, NE 68111 Crown Tower
Henninger Ave Omaha, NE 68104
Evans Tower 3600 N 24th St Omaha, NE 68110
Jackson Tower 600 South 27th Street Omaha, NE 68105 Teen
12,961
Gering, NE 69341
Good Neighbor Community Health Center
Columbus, NE • Fremont, NE (402)
ecdhd.ne.gov
Locations
Good Neighbor
Department 4321 41st Ave Columbus, NE 68601
Fremont Clinic 2740 N Clarkson St Fremont, NE 68025
Main Location - Livestock
Exchange Building
4910, 4920, 4930 S 30th St Omaha, NE 68107
Northwest Omaha 4229 N 90th St Omaha, NE 68134
Plattsmouth 122 S 6th St Plattsmouth, NE 68048
Teen & Young Adult - West 2520 S 130th Ave Omaha, NE 68144
51,913
2207 Georgia Ave Bellevue, NE 68005
4101 S 120th St
NE 68137
Teen & Young Adult - South 4310 S 24th St Omaha, NE 68107
5310 S 84th St Omaha, NE 68127
for Patients Advocacy
HCAN plays a vital role in advocating for Community Health Centers by leveraging their strengths, promoting their value, and advancing policies that support their mission. We are champions for community health centers, recognizing them as essential assets within our healthcare system and foundations of wellness within our communities. Through our advocacy efforts, we amplify their impact, elevate their voices, and ensure they have the resources and support they need to fulfill their crucial mission.
2024 Summer Advocacy Strategy
HCAN educates our federal, state, and local policymakers about community health centers and advocates for securing funding, resources, and policies that promote access to care. HCAN leadership met with state senators during the summer months to educate them on the role and value of community health centers in the healthcare system. We were able to meet with 26 out of 32 returning state senators and conduct 9 health center tours across the state.
National Health Center Week
Every August, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) sponsors National Health Center Week (NHCW) to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s 1,400 community health centers. National Health Center Week is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of community health center staff, board members, and supporters who make it possible to provide quality, comprehensive healthcare services to more than 31 million patients across 14,500 communities annually.
On Friday, August 9th, we celebrated Staff Appreciation Day! Each Nebraska health center received HCAN funds to thank their staff in their own way. Staff were celebrated with health center apparel, state fair tickets, staff luncheons, and more. We are grateful for community health center staff and volunteers, today and every day!
Horizon On the
Cohort 2: Invested Leadership | Creating Workplaces Where People Thrive
This year, HCAN launched the Invested Leadership program, a custom executive leadership course tailored to our health centers. This prestigious program, designed to enhance leadership skills within the healthcare industry, provided participants with the knowledge and tools necessary for executive success over five months. In this program, health center executives connect with their peers across the state to learn the foundations necessary to succeed in their role. This course incorporates in-person and virtual facilitated intensives with 1:1 coaching to ensure participants are given the support to both learn and apply included skills.
Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the program graduates, HCAN is excited to offer this program again in 2025 to continue the development of our health center executive teams.
HCAN Recruiting Services
Our inaugural cohort of seven health center executives graduated from the program in September at HCAN’s Nebraska Community Health Conference.
In 2025, HCAN will launch recruitment services for Nebraska health centers through the newly established Talent Acquisition Specialist role. This dedicated position addresses the critical need for healthcare professionals in underserved communities by managing recruitment efforts on behalf of participating health centers. Through targeted campaigns, strategic partnerships with educational institutions and community organizations, and personalized support throughout the hiring process, HCAN will connect participating health centers with skilled primary care providers, dentists, behavioral health professionals, advanced practice providers, administrative staff, and executive leaders as requested by the health centers.
Process Improvement Training
HCAN will be offering Process Improvement Training to all Nebraska health centers to help optimize healthcare delivery in an increasingly complex health care environment. Methodologies for process improvement provide healthcare professionals with tools to improve efficiency, eliminate waste, and streamline processes. This training will empower our teams medical operations teams to grow towards continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making to achieve financial sustainability and high-quality patient care.
Enhancing Workforce Capacity Scholarship Program
HCAN’s newest scholarship program is aimed at supporting medical, dental and behavioral health providers in their professional development. This initiative will help providers enhance their careers, acquire new clinical skills, and earn certifications that will ultimately improve patient care, boost staff satisfaction, and strengthen the overall capacity of health centers. The scholarship program will cover the cost of training or conference registration fees, hotel accommodations, travel and meals.
$306.3 Million
Total Economic Impact of Current Operations of Nebraska Health Centers
1,184 Jobs $161.4 Million
Total Health Center Jobs in Nebraska
Health Center Spending
The Value and Impact of Nebraska Community Health Centers
Health centers provide tremendous value and impact to the communities they serve through economic stimulus, savings to the healthcare system, and care for vulnerable populations. They provide accessible healthcare services, improve public health and reduce health disparities. With over 1,100 employees and 121,281 Nebraskans served, health centers are one of the state’s largest primary care delivery systems. They are a vital community resource to promote wellness and healthcare to all.
$207.5 M Savings to the Overall Health System
Sponsors
Sponsors Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Report HCAN CEO’s
Amy Behnke, HCAN CEO
HCAN is committed to advancing the health center mission in our state and ensuring access, health and well-being for all. Health centers are rooted in community and empower individuals to take control of their health using a patient-centered care model. The health center movement has always understood the link between healthcare access and overall well-being.
In 2024, HCAN drove initiatives aimed at expanding workforce opportunities, diversifying health center funding, creating economies of scale through shared business opportunities, and elevating the policy needs of health centers and the communities they serve. We trained over 1,800 health center employees across 15 peer learning teams and 136 different trainings. Our Department of Labor certified Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program enrolled 82 additional apprentices. HCAN secured five years of additional Navigator funding to support outreach and enrollment efforts. Project Access was expanded to support workforce recruitment and retention efforts at health centers.
We advocated at the state and federal levels to secure health center funding, protect health centers from ongoing restrictions in the 340B pharmacy program, and update dental licensing standards to expand the number of licensing exams accepted by the state. We also worked with communities to address the ongoing need to expand the health center footprint and fill the gaps in access to care, especially for uninsured individuals. In spite of our efforts, funding for centers has not received a significant increase since 2015. At the same time, Nebraska’s health centers have nearly doubled the number of patients served. The increase in patients served, coupled with medical inflation, has actually resulted in a 27% spending decline since 2015. In 2025, HCAN will be focused on securing increased stable funding that will close the funding gap, support health center expansion, and invest in innovative workforce solutions. Advancing the Health Center Movement and ensuring access, health and well-being for all has never been more critical. HCAN is fiercely committed to lifting up the communities served by Nebraska’s health centers, understanding their goals and aspirations, and building opportunities within the health centers for those communities to achieve their goals.
HCAN Staff
Amy Behnke, CEO
Daphne Calhoun, Programs and Technology Analyst
Daniel Gillen, Transformation Advisor
Rachel Heinz, Director of Programs
Kerri Jones, Office Manager
Angela Lindstrom, Director of Communications
Isela Meza, Navigator Lead
Jenna Thomsen, Director of Strategy & Development
Shelly Uhing, Director of Finance
Becca Usher, Talent Acquisition Specialist
Samantha Wall, Health Access Advisor
