Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS) is a nonprofit membership association of community, migrant, and homeless health centers 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.

Review the CHAMPS Mission, Vision, and Values.

Please click or scroll down for:
CHAMPS Awards
CHAMPS Goals
CHAMPS Membership & Leadership
CHAMPS Programs & Services
CHAMPS Staff

CHAMPS AWARDS

Each year, CHAMPS presents awards to staff and board members of Region VIII Health Centers and related organizations to recognize exceptional contributions to the health center community. Over the years this process has allowed CHAMPS to honor numerous highly deserving individuals from across the region for their outstanding advocacy, leadership, and dedication to the health center mission.

Please visit the CHAMPS Awards webpage for details about current awardees and those from prior years.

CHAMPS GOALS

Through our programming, activities, and offerings, CHAMPS aims to support Region VIII health centers and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) 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 health centers and PCAs through committees, conference calls, site visits, trainings, conferences, etc.
  • Providing ongoing timely and valuable communications about federal policy, announcements, initiatives, funding, 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 materials addressing a variety of diseases and conditions, evidence-based clinical guidelines, and more.
  • Providing additional CHC Board Resources, Quality Improvement Resources, and Cross-Disciplinary Resources addressing governance, health equity, social determinants of health, assessing the needs of the community, outreach and enrollment, special and vulnerable populations, and more.
  • Collecting and disseminating national and regional health center and related data.
  • Assessing continuously the changing needs of Region VIII health centers and PCAs to determine future programming.

CHAMPS MEMBERSHIP & LEADERSHIP

Annual Organizational Membership is open to all health centers and PCAs in Region VIII on a sliding scale, based on annual operating budget. CHAMPS is governed 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:

If you are interested in becoming a CHAMPS member, please contact the CHAMPS Executive Director.

CHAMPS PROGRAMS & SERVICES

In order to meet these goals, CHAMPS provides a number of programs and services.

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:
Events & Trainings
Networking & Support
Publications & Communications

CHAMPS Services:

Events & Trainings for clinical and non-clinical staff of health centers and PCAs in Region VIII, including:

  • Annual Primary Care Conference offered by CHAMPS in partnership with NWRPCA the premier training opportunity for health center staff and board members in Region VIII. CHAMPS Organizational Members receive up to two registration reimbursements, and Region VIII clinicians receive travel support to attend. Please link to our Annual Primary Care Conference page for more information.
  • Training events sponsored by CHAMPS include supervisor/manager skills courses, Intensive Spanish Language for clinicians, courses for clinical leaders, and CME courses. Reduced registration is available for members. Please link to our Events & Trainings page for more information about current offerings.
  • Live and Archived Webcasts are offered free of charge to Region VIII health centers and PCAs. CME credit is available for certain webcasts. Please link to our Distance Learning page for more information.
  • On Demand Learning Modules and Courses are typically offered free of charge to Region VIII health centers. Available for asynchronous viewing, some may offer CME credit. Please link to our On-Demand Modules and Courses page for more information.
  • Podcasts feature health center best and promising practices and insights from subject matter experts to provide opportunities for learning on the go. Please link to the Podcasts page for more information.
  • Educational Resources include clinical tools, board tools, recruitment and retention tools, and more. These resources are available online and/or for purchase. Please link to our Resources section 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 health centers and PCAs in Region VIII, including:

  • Connections with Federal Agencies: CHAMPS facilitates ongoing communications with the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 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 Resources section for clinical, board, recruitment and retention, special populations, outreach and enrollment, and other resources.
  • 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. Please link to our Region VIII PCA Networking Groups page to view CHAMPS’ networking opportunities with other Primary Care Associations in Region VIII.
  • Welcome Program: CHAMPS distributes information about health centers, PCAs, CHAMPS, MPCN, and other state, regional, and national programs of interest to newly hired health center and PCA Executive Leadership Staff in the region. All newly identified medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy providers are sent electronic greetings with information about the Mountain/Plains Clinical Network (MPCN). Please contact the CHAMPS Programs Coordinator, Membership & Communications with any new-hire information.
  • Connections & Partnerships: CHAMPS works with various National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs), PCAs, Primary Care Offices (PCOs), and other public and community health organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center (RMPHTC) adding value to each group’s offerings and leveraging funds and capacities to deliver the highest caliber trainings and resources.

Publications & Communications available to all CHAMPS Organizational Members, including:

  • Region VIII Clinical Staffing, Provider Productivity Expectations, and Workforce Metrics Reports: Survey participants and CHAMPS Organizational Members receive one free copy of these reports, which are published every two years. Members, link to the Members Only section of this site for online versions of all reports. Link to our Publications page for more details about each report.
  • Region VIII Recruitment & Retention Survey Reports: Free electronic reports with information vital to strengthening and enhancing successful recruitment and retention strategies already in place, and to developing new and innovative ways to support successful staff recruitment and retention. Please visit the CHAMPS Publications page for more details.
  • 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.
  • Other Region VIII Reports: Including free downloadable Region VIII Uniform Data System (UDS) Summaries and Fact Sheets and Job Opportunities Bank Data Comparison Reports. Visit the CHAMPS Publications page for more details.
  • Quarterly Newsletter: An informational newsletter is e-mailed to Region VIII health centers and PCAs four times a year. This resource includes updates on all CHAMPS programs and current events. Please visit the CHAMPS Quarterly Newsletters page for an archive of past editions.
  • Board of Directors Digest: A digital update created specifically for our Board Members. This update, sent once per quarter, contains information, updates, and resources from CHAMPS.
  • Health Equity Digest: Designed to assist Region VIII health centers and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) in addressing health inequities. This quarterly digest focuses on health disparities, obstacles to health, social determinants of health, programs and resources to help close the gaps, and more. Explore more information and an archive of past editions.
  • Mountain/Plains Clinical Network (MPCN) Minute: An e-bulletin for MPCN, a program that encompasses all health care providers working at Region VIII community, migrant, and homeless health centers. Region VIII health center providers and quality improvement staff receive the MPCN Minute a couple of times a month with brief updates on upcoming events and quick overviews of useful clinical tools and resources. Learn more and sign up for the MPCN Minute.
  • Workforce Focus: An e-bulletin for human resource (HR), recruitment and retention (R&R), and healthcare career pathways contacts within the Region VIII community of health centers. The Workforce Focus is shared four to six times per year with brief updates on upcoming events, important announcements, and quick overviews of useful workforce tools and resources. Sign up to receive the Workforce Focus.
  • Job Opportunities Bank (JOB) Email: A monthly email that provides a listing of recently posted Region VIII health center positions as well as announcements about loan repayment application dates, scholarship opportunities, clinical resources, and upcoming events. Sign up to receive the JOB Email.
  • Website: The CHAMPS website is a carefully curated clearinghouse of resources for Region VIII health centers. For an overview of the website, please visit the Sitemap.