Please Note: We are currently at capacity for this event. You may apply for this training to be added to a waitlist. We will contact you by February 23 if there is space for you to join. In the event you are not accepted into the Learning Collaborative, we will keep your application for future Learning Collaboratives.

March 6^th – April 10^th, 2024

Looking to make your job feel more like a hobby?  Come learn some tools to help you do that.

NACHC is hosting its third annual Learning Collaborative for Health Center Outreach and Enrollment (O&E) staff. This year’s Learning Collaborative will be focused on applying Lean process improvement methods to Health Center Outreach & Enrollment workflows and activities.

This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and processes to improve your O&E activities. Outcomes from last year’s Learning Collaborative projects include:

• Reduction of billing errors by 55%​
• Increased Patient Satisfaction
• Reduction of Patient Complaints around improper billings
• Improved Staff Satisfaction of Enrollment and Front Desk Staff ​

Overview

This Learning Collaborative is designed for all members of the Health Center Outreach and Enrollment (O&E) team and will be focused on leveraging process improvement strategies to redesign your outreach and enrollment workflows. The health center outreach and enrollment (O&E) workforce includes enrollment assisters, in-person assisters (IPAs), Certified Application Counselors (CACs), Marketplace Navigators, Community Health Workers (CHWs), and more.

The goals of this Learning Collaborative are to:

• Provide health center O&E staff an opportunity to discuss challenges, and strategies related to conducting O&E activities with the health center peers;
• Understand and apply the Lean methodology to O&E workflows;
• Test and implement changes that result in process improvements; and
• Have Fun!

The Learning Collaborative will convene six times between Mach and April 2024 and address key Lean concepts. Each workshop will include policy updates from NACHC staff or other national partner organizations to address emerging issues such as the Medicaid Eligibility redeterminations, Special Enrollment Periods, and more.

Health centers employed nearly 7,500 outreach staff and enrollment eligibility assister and provided nearly 4 million enrollment assists according to HRSA UDS Data. As Medicaid eligibility redeterminations continue nationwide, the role of the enrollment assister is more critical than ever!

Participant Expectations –

• Attend and participate in all six Workshops
• Complete all homework assignments in between workshops.  Homework with ~30 minutes and focused on the project of your choosing. 

As an added benefit for participation, there will be optional coaching calls that you can sign up for between each workshop with the Lean Consultant.

Workshop Dates

• Workshop #1: Kick-Off- Lean Overview

Wednesday, March 6^th, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM ET
The kick-off Workshop will introduce the format and expectations of the learning collaborative.  Participants will be introduced to the overall Lean methodology and principles along with seeing examples of previous projects to help identify where to focus their Lean project.

• Workshop #2:  Scoping & Direct Observation

Wednesday, March 13^th, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM ET
This workshop will focus on how to scope a Lean project, learning how to focus on what is in their control, and relevant to their work.  Participants will also learn how to perform direct observations, a tool that shows you how to listen with your eyes to see how the process happens in its current state. 

• Workshop #3: Current State Mapping

Wednesday, March 20^th, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM ET
This workshop will focus on making your process visual through current state mapping.  This mapping technique provides an in-depth understanding of the current process to see where there are opportunities to make improvements. 

• Workshop #4: Waste Identification and Future State Creation

Wednesday, March 27^th, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM ET
This workshop will focus on identifying waste, things that aren’t adding value from the customer’s perspective, and creating the future state of the process. The participants will be shown how to perform root-cause analysis to determine if waste can be removed in the future state.

• Workshop #5: Implementation – Documentation, Testing, and Training

Wednesday, April 3^rd, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM ET
This workshop will be used to walk through the documentation, testing, and training needed to support a new standardized process.  Participants will also learn how to perform small tests of change to validate their future process before fully implementing it and how to train others who will be using the process.

• Workshop #6: Watch-it Metrics, Continuous Improvement, and Wrap-Up

Wednesday, April 10^th, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM ET
This workshop will be used to understand how to create metrics to make sure the process is achieving the intended outcomes.  Participants will also learn how to perform continuous improvement using the insights gained from data collection and how to present their results to colleagues and leadership.

• Workshop #7: Outreach and Enrollment Innovation Showcase

Wednesday, May 29^th, 2024, 2:00 pm – 3:00 PM ET
This event will provide participants who complete all elements of the course an opportunity to showcase process improvement project summary including results, lessons learned, and next steps. This is an opportunity for participants to invite their supervisors, colleagues, and even Primary Care Association (PCA) colleagues to listen to their presentations and celebrate the work they have accomplished over six weeks.

Faculty

Faculty for these workshops include staff from:

• National Association of Community Health Centers 
  • Erin Prendergast, Deputy Director, Federal Policy 
  • Jamie Reich, Specialist, Growth & Development 
  • Ted Henson, Director, Growth & Development 
• Mindy Hangsleben, Varyn Consulting  
• Health Center Staff 
  • Alba Escobar, Enrollment & Eligibility Manager, APLA Health 
  • Cierra Kelly, Executive Project Director, ReGenesis Health Care 
  • Tiffany Mallory, Outreach and Special Projects, Cabarrus Rowan Community Health Centers 
  • Stephanie Petrauskas, Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator, Rocking Horse Community Health Center 
• Primary Care Association Facilitators 
  • Carol Adkins, Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, Kentucky Primary Care Association 
  • Paula Campbell, Director of Health Equity + EP Response, Illinois Primary Health Care Association 
  • Liz Tansey, Covering Kids and Families Senior Manager, Colorado Community Health Network 
  • Jenny Walden, Outreach and Enrollment Specialist, Indiana Primary Health Care Association 

Requirements

To apply, a participant must meet the following requirements:

• Actively conduct outreach and enrollment activities at a Health Center
• Commit to attending all six Workshops
• Commit to completing the relevant homework activities.
• Have the support of your Supervisor/leadership

Deadline is February 16^th, 2024.

For more information, please contact Ted Henson.