NC AHEC Practice Support is celebrating 20 years
(2006-2026)
Established in 1972 to address healthcare workforce shortages, NC AHEC Practice Support has evolved from focusing on medical training to providing tailored, on-the-ground, and virtual coaching for primary care, behavioral health, and specialty practices across all 100 North Carolina counties, aiding over 1,300 practices with health IT, quality improvement, and Medicaid transformation. Thank you for 20 years of making a difference in the lives of others in North Carolina.
Updates
Upcoming Merger: Carolina Complete Health and WellCare of North Carolina
Effective April 1, 2026, Carolina Complete Health and WellCare of North Carolina will officially combine into a single, statewide health. Following the merger, the new entity will maintain its name Carolina Complete Health and Provider-Led Entity governance structure.
• Forms
Merger Information Sessions
Date & Time: April 2, 2026, 12 p.m. and April 16, 2026, 12 p.m.
Secure Provider Portal Training
Date & Time: April 9, 2026, 12 p.m. and April 23, 2026, 12 p.m.
Healthy Blue Provider Education Series
The 2026 Provider Education Series is now open for registration. These sessions are hosted by the Medicaid Risk Adjustment Team and are available to all providers. While providers may have an understanding of industry standard claims and billing, these courses serve as a great bridge to connect Healthy Blue NC and Healthy Blue Care Together billing requirements. Adhering to these requirements will allow the health plan to capture coding aimed to report documentation and care of chronic conditions. Webex Registration
Amerihealth Caritas
April 22, 2026 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Embassy Suites Brier Creek | 8001 Acro Corp Dr. Raleigh, NC
Register here by Monday, April 20, 2026, and let us know what other topics you would like to discuss.
You are invited to meet Provider Network Management team for an information session. This is a time for us to get to know you better and determine the best ways to work together to serve our shared members. We will be discussing the following: Claims and Billing, Prior Authorizations, Compliance, HEDIS, Quality Initiatives, Resources and more.
Amerihealth Caritas | Baby Shower for New Parents/Families - Fayetteville
April 22, 2026 | 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Fayetteville Wellness & Opportunity Center: Region 5, 4101 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC
Register with the events calendar link for the correct location.
Our Wellness & Opportunity Center teams have partnered with numerous community partners to host regional community baby showers in every region to educate, empower and support moms who have recently delivered a baby or who are pregnant, as well as their families. These baby showers offer a chance to celebrate the arrival of these new babies and to encourage moms to get the prenatal and postpartum care they need. We offer dietary and general health information, early childhood development and education tips, and information about immunizations and wellness checks. We also share information around breastfeeding, sleep, and car seat safety.
If your practice is interested in partnering with us, participating in one of the baby showers, or in promoting it to your patients, please reach out to your Provider Account Executive or call the Provider Services department at 1-888-738-0004.
CMS Phasing Out Fax Machines for Physician Offices
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized new Administrative Simplification standards aimed at modernizing how health care claims attachments are submitted. These standards establish a consistent, electronic process for transmitting supporting documentation—such as medical records, clinical notes, and other required materials—used in claims and prior authorization decisions.
By replacing manual methods like faxing and paper submissions with standardized electronic transactions and secure electronic signatures, the rule is expected to improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and enhance the accuracy and timeliness of information exchange across the health care system. Fact Sheet
NC State Health Plan Won’t Extend Aetna Contract
North Carolina’s State Health Plan has announced it will not extend its current contract with Aetna beyond 2027 and will instead open a competitive bidding process for a new third-party administrator. State leaders indicated the decision reflects a desire to align future partnerships with evolving priorities, including improving member and provider experience, strengthening health outcomes, and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
The move comes just a few years after Aetna took over administration of the plan in 2025 under a three-year agreement. In addition to seeking bids for administrative services, the State Health Plan is also exploring new proposals for its pharmacy benefit manager contract, signaling broader efforts to reevaluate vendor relationships. Article
Clinical Perspectives: Training the Collaborative Care Behavioral Health Care Manager and a Child Psychiatrist’s Role
A recent article in JAACAP Connect highlights the importance of structured training for Behavioral Health Care Managers (BHCMs) within the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), particularly in pediatric settings. CoCM integrates behavioral health into primary care by adding a BHCM to the care team, who works closely with the primary care provider and a consulting child psychiatrist to deliver evidence-based mental health services.
The article emphasizes that while CoCM has been widely recognized for improving access to care and outcomes for children with mild to moderate mental health conditions, there is currently no standardized approach to training pediatric BHCMs. This gap can create variability in skills and readiness, as individuals in this role may come from diverse professional backgrounds. Article
Practice Manager Bootcamp
Quality Improvement
Practice managers are leaders, and the better leaders they are, the more successful their practices will be. In this module, you will learn communication and management skills that will help you make your practice cohesive, efficient, and welcoming for both your staff and patients.
When: April 23, 2026 – May 14, 2026
Location: Live Webinar
Cost: $80.00
Dental Practice Management Sessions
When: April 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026
Location: Live Webinar
Cost: $250.00
PODCAST: What if it's me? A manager's response to turnover
Your best employees keep walking out the door. Maybe it's time to take a painful look in the mirror and consider if your management style may be contributing to the problem. GeGe Beall of Engaged At Work discusses this uncomfortable issue and how you can face it and transform your practice into a place employees enjoy.
Find out more about GeGe at engagedatwork.com.
For information about the North Carolina Practice Management Academy, visit ncahecpma.org
Continuing Professional Development
In-Person | Live Webinar
Looking to grow your skills or stay ahead of regulatory changes? SR-AHEC Continuing Professional Development offers a variety of courses through in-person sessions and live webinars. Our trainings are practical, timely, and tailored to today’s healthcare environment.
Explore upcoming opportunities and register today!
Click here to see our full course catalog
We have a new web address for the Practice Management Academy
ncahecpma.org - Go check it out!
Any bookmark you have should still work because we've mapped the old URL to the new one. If you'd like to see what our new page looks like, you may need to sign out of the academy so you can see the landing page. Anyone can join the free side of the Practice Management Academy. This includes any free courses, access to our group chat, and announcements about upcoming classes and events. We hope this new address and page will be easier to navigate and share.
