The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) is a membership organization of the North Dakota and South Dakota community health centers and is dedicated to assuring high-quality primary health care through public policy and community-driven health services.

Community health centers (CHCs) are dedicated to providing the components of a medical home to all in need: care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, patient-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective. CHCs are located in medically underserved, rural and urban areas throughout the Dakotas to provide primary and preventative care to community residents and are governed by the patients they serve.

To achieve high-quality primary health care, CHAD supports policy improvements in the following areas:

Access to Care/Health Care Safety Net

CHAD supports adequate access to primary care services and a medical home for all those in need, regardless of ability to pay. CHAD supports strengthening and expanding the Health Care Safety Net to ensure adequate access to primary and preventative care for all people. The community health center model provides both medical and economic benefits to the patients and communities served by the centers.

Reimbursement for Services

CHAD supports the expansion of public financing and improved reimbursement rates for services provided to uninsured or underinsured patients. The Medicaid guarantee of coverage for low income, elderly and disabled patients must be preserved and the Prospective Payment System rate must be sustained or expanded to ensure access to care for all in need.

Increased Medical Workforce Capacity

CHAD supports programs and projects to increase and sustain the number of primary health care professionals to provide necessary care to all in need. CHAD supports efforts to bolster the primary care workforce, especially in the most rural parts of the Dakotas, where access to primary and preventative care services are limited by geography.

Technology and Infrastructure Enhancement

CHAD supports enhanced technology and infrastructure for community health centers to better serve the people in need of care. Advanced technology and infrastructure provide opportunities to more efficiently deliver quality healthcare through the community health center model.