CHAMPS Overview
Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS) is a nonprofit membership association of community, migrant and homeless health centers (CHCs) in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. CHAMPS was founded in 1985 to unite Region VIII health centers in an advocacy and mutual support network of these community-based providers of primary care and related services for underserved communities in the Mountain and Plains states.
Note:
To review the CHAMPS Mission, Vision, and Values, please click HERE.
For five year summaries of UDS statistics for Region VIII CHCs, please click HERE.
For summaries of Region VIII Demographics and Health Data, please click HERE.
Please click or scroll down for:
CHAMPS Goals
CHAMPS Programs & Services
CHAMPS Membership & Leadership
CHAMPS GOALS
Through our programming, activities, and offerings, CHAMPS aims to support Region VIII CHCs and Primary Care Associations/Offices (PCA/Os) by:
- Providing accessible education and training opportunities for entry level and experienced staff and board members in a variety of formats including annual conferences, regional trainings, distance learning, online resources, etc.
- Promoting collaboration, networking and support between Region VIII CHCs and PCA/Os through committees, conference calls, site visits, trainings, conferences, etc.
- Providing ongoing timely and valuable communications about federal policy, announcements, initiatives, funding and training opportunities, etc.
- Providing online workforce development support through the Job Opportunities Bank (JOB) and Recruitment & Retention Resources
- Providing high-quality online clinical resources including quality improvement tools, posters, videos, pocket cards, links, etc.
- Collecting and disseminating national and regional CHC and related data
- Continuously assessing the changing needs of Region VIII CHCs and PCA/Os to determine future programming
CHAMPS PROGRAMS & SERVICES
In order to meet these goals, CHAMPS provides a number of programs and services to its organizational members.
Please follow the links below to learn more about the following programs:
Mountain/Plains Clinical Network (MPCN)
Workforce Development
Click or scroll down for more information on the following CHAMPS services:
Conferences & Trainings
Networking & Support
Publications
CHAMPS Services:
Conferences & Trainings for clinical and non-clinical staff of CHCs and PCAs in Region VIII, including:
- CHAMPS’ Annual Primary Care Conference is the premier training opportunity for health center staff and board members in Region VIII. CHAMPS Organizational Members receive a reduced registration fee, and Region VIII clinicians receive travel support to attend.
- Training events sponsored by CHAMPS have included Intensive Spanish Language for clinicians, Harvard-taught courses for clinical leaders, and intensive CME courses. Reduced registration is available for members. Link to our Events & Trainings page for more information about current offerings.
- Live and Archived Webcasts are offered free of charge to CHAMPS Organizational Members. CME credit is available. Please link to our Distance Learning page for more information.
- CHAMPS Educational Resources include videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, clinical tools, board tools, and recruitment and retention tools. These resources are available online, on loan, and/or for purchase. Please link to our Tools & Products page for more information.
Please link to our Calendar of Events for information about upcoming program offerings and events nationwide.
Networking & Support to provide additional resources to board members and staff at CHCs and PCAs in Region VIII, including:
- Connections with Federal Agencies: CHAMPS facilitates ongoing communications with the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and other federal agencies.
- Information Clearinghouse: CHAMPS maintains a small reference library as well as sample documents, resource links, and online tools. Please link to our Tools & Products page for clinical, board, and recruitment and retention resources, as well as for information about the CHAMPS Lending Library.
- Networking: CHAMPS provides opportunities for networking through conferences, committees, and information-sharing activities such as regional job and topic-specific conference calls. Please link to our Calendar of Events to explore upcoming activities.
- Welcome Packets: CHAMPS distributes information about CHCs, PCAs, CHAMPS, MPCN, and other state, regional, and national programs of interest to newly hired CHC and PCA Executive Leadership and Clinical Staff in the region. Please contact andrea@champsonline.org with any new-hire information.
Publications available to all CHAMPS Organizational Members, including:
- Health Center Directory: This Region VIII CHC Directory is updated every other year. Members may click HERE to access our Online CHC Directory. Non-members and members may link to our Publications page for information about purchasing a copy of the most recent directory.
- Region VIII Salary Survey Reports: Survey participants and CHAMPS Organizational Members receive one free copy of this report, which is published every two years. Members, link to the Members Only section of this site for online versions of all reports. Non-members and members may link to our Publications page for information about purchasing a copy of the most recent report.
- Quarterly Newsletter: An informational newsletter is e-mailed to Region VIII CHCs and PCAs four times a year. This resource includes updates on all CHAMPS programs and current events. Please click HERE for an archive of past quarterly newsletters.
- 2004 Region VIII Recruitment & Retention Survey: A free report of the results includes data results, resources, and a sample workplan. Please click HERE for a printable version of the report.
CHAMPS MEMBERSHIP & LEADERSHIP
Annual Organizational Membership is open to all CHCs and PCAs in Region VIII on a sliding scale, based on annual operating budget. CHAMPS is goverened by a Board of Directors made up of two representatives from each member organization (one administrative and one clinical), and led by an Executive Committee of elected officials.
Click on the links below for:
- A list of current CHAMPS Organizational Members
- A list of current CHAMPS Executive Committee Members
- A list of current Region VIII National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Board of Directors Members
If you are interested in becoming a CHAMPS member, please contact julie@champsonline.org.
