HMA1 - Strength Through Sustainability: How PCAs Can Empower Health Centers in a Changing Financial Landscape

Session Description: We all know that there are an alarming number of health centers across the country in financial crisis. And, just below the surface are many more health centers that are facing tighter margins and financial pressures as a result of rising wages, the increasing cost of supplies, threats to 340B, the end of public health crisis-era funding, and the reduction of base grant funding in real terms. In this session, leaders from the Community Health Care Association of the Dakotas and Community Link Consulting will share strategies and lessons learned (failure is a great teacher!) to help PCAs and networks shift their approach, cultivate member engagement, and deploy strategic training and technical assistance to promote health center sustainability. The panel will explore how networks can offer value even when direct funding is limited — through community-building, shared services, group purchasing, and targeted support to strengthen health center operations and financial strategies. Attendees will leave equipped with new ideas and tested practices to strengthen their member relationships, bolster operational endurance, and position health centers to remain partners, employers, and providers of choice.