NC AHEC Practice Support is celebrating 20 years
(2006-2026)
For 20 years, NC AHEC Practice Support has helped strengthen healthcare delivery across North Carolina. Established in 1972 to address healthcare workforce shortages, NC AHEC has evolved to provide tailored, on-the-ground and virtual coaching for primary care, behavioral health, and specialty practices across all 100 North Carolina counties.
Having supported more than 1,300 practices with health IT, quality improvement, and Medicaid transformation, we are proud to celebrate two decades of partnership, innovation, and meaningful change. Thank you for the important work you do every day to improve the health and well-being of North Carolina communities!
Updates
National Rural Health Day: From Tradition to Transformation
November 18 - 19, 2026 | Eastern AHEC, Greenville, NC | Virtual participation available
North Carolina will celebrate National Rural Health Day with a two-day event focused on strengthening rural healthcare and improving access to care across the state.
Hosted by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), this year's theme, From Tradition to Transformation, highlights opportunities to build on the strengths of rural communities while addressing today's healthcare challenges.
Topics include:
• Rural healthcare workforce development and leadership sustainability
• Technology, digital health, and innovative models of care delivery
• Rural Health Transformation Program opportunities
• Maternal health access and maternity care deserts
• Quality improvement, collaboration, and community partnerships
Explore event details and registration through the NCDHHS National Rural Health Day webpage. Registration closes November 11, 2026.
Behavioral Health Bootcamp: Free Training Opportunities for Healthcare Providers
Upcoming sessions: November 4 and November 18, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Southern Regional AHEC and AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina are partnering to offer the Project ECHO Behavioral Health Bootcamp, a no-cost educational series designed to help healthcare professionals better support patients with behavioral health needs.
Upcoming topics include:
• November 4: Suicide Risk Across the Life Span
• November 18: Serious Mental Illness and Psychosis
These virtual sessions feature behavioral health subject-matter experts and provider perspectives, with an emphasis on practical strategies and collaboration across care settings. The series is particularly relevant for primary care clinicians, OB/GYN practices, local health departments, federally qualified health centers, and other providers serving rural communities.
Visit the AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina Behavioral Health webpage for program details and registration. A MyAHEC account is required.
NC Medicaid: Keep Eligibility and Patient Access on Your Radar
As Medicaid policies and eligibility processes evolve, practices can help patients maintain access to care by strengthening front-desk, billing, and care-management workflows.
Consider reviewing the following with your team:
• Eligibility verification: Confirm coverage at appropriate points in the scheduling, registration, and billing process.
• Patient communication: Encourage patients to keep contact information current with their local Department of Social Services (DSS) and respond promptly to eligibility notices.
• Coverage changes: Establish a consistent process for helping patients understand next steps if their Medicaid coverage changes.
• Care coordination: Identify community resources and referral options for patients experiencing barriers to care.
Practices should monitor official NC Medicaid communications for current requirements and implementation guidance rather than relying on assumptions about eligibility or renewal timelines. NC Medicaid | NC Tracks
Quality Improvement Spotlight: Prepare Now for Year-End Reporting
As the end of the calendar year approaches, November is a good time to review quality performance, documentation practices, and reporting readiness.
Practice teams may benefit from a brief year-end check-in covering:
• Quality measures: Review performance dashboards and identify outstanding gaps in preventive and chronic disease care.
• MIPS and Quality Payment Program: Confirm applicable reporting requirements, measure selections, and outstanding documentation for the 2026 performance year.
• Electronic health records: Check workflows for accurate coding, structured data entry, and reliable quality-reporting outputs.
• Care gaps: Identify patients who may benefit from follow-up for screenings, immunizations, chronic disease monitoring, or other preventive services.
• Team responsibilities: Clarify who will monitor performance, address missing data, and complete required reporting activities.
A short, focused review can help practices identify workflow issues before year-end and establish priorities for the next performance period. NC AHEC Practice Support can help the practice evaluate workflows, strengthen data use, and identify opportunities for continuous quality improvement.
Practice Manager Basic Courses
Build Your Practice Management Skills
September 7, 2026 – May 10, 2027, | Online via Zoom
The Practice Manager Basic Courses provide practical, foundational education for individuals who are new to practice management, experienced managers looking to strengthen their skills, and providers or staff interested in the business and operational side of healthcare.
The program includes ten courses covering key areas of medical practice management, including:
• Financial management
• Insurance and the revenue cycle
• Coding
• Human resources
• Customer service
• Leadership
• Operations management
• Quality improvement
A new one-hour recorded lesson is released each Monday. Participants can complete courses individually or pursue the full program. Quizzes must be completed by the program deadline to receive a completion certificate.
Registration and pricing: Courses may be taken individually or completed in their entirety at the discounted rate of $900, compared with the total individual-course price of $1,080.
For information about registering for the full course series, contact Christi Boahn at (910) 678-7240 or christi.boahn@sr-ahec.org.
Practice Management Academy
The Sane Practice Manager Is
a podcast produced by the North Carolina Area Health Education Center's Practice Management Academy.
• Focus: Designed for medical practice managers and administrators to navigate the constant changes in healthcare, share operational insights, and reduce workplace stress ("healthcare's crazy but you don't have to be; we're here to help!").
• Topics Covered: Business operations, emergency resilience, continuity planning, and real-world leadership challenges (such as practice recovery after natural disasters like Hurricane Helene).
• Where to Listen: You can stream episodes through platforms like Spotify, Apple, or iHeart.
• Community: Managers can connect with peers and access resources via the North Carolina Practice Management Academy Community.
All the podcasts can be reached here:
Strengthening Your Leadership and Operational Skills
Effective practice management plays an important role in staff engagement, patient experience, financial sustainability, and the delivery of high-quality care. The North Carolina Practice Management Academy offers resources to support healthcare professionals at different stages of their management journey, including educational opportunities, peer connections, and announcements about upcoming courses and events.
Whether you are onboarding a new practice manager or looking for resources to support an experienced leader, the Academy can be a useful addition to your professional development toolkit. For information about the North Carolina Practice Management Academy, visit ncahecpma.org
Continuing Professional Development
Keep Learning. Keep Growing.
In-person opportunities | Live webinars | Online education
Looking to expand your knowledge, earn continuing education credit, or stay informed about evolving healthcare practices? Southern Regional AHEC and the statewide NC AHEC network offer continuing professional development opportunities designed to meet the educational needs of healthcare professionals across North Carolina. Explore courses covering clinical care, practice management, behavioral health, quality improvement, and other emerging healthcare priorities.
Southern Regional AHEC Courses and Events
