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February 2026 A Letter from the CEO 2025 was a year of historic change in the US by virtually any measuring stick.  We at NWRPCA have been both deeply concerned by the magnitude of the challenges facing community health centers across the Pacific Northwest and so impressed by the extraordinary resilience, innovation, commitment and effectiveness demonstrated by our member organizations in addressing those challenges. Health centers are the backbone of primary care for over 2 million people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska—often in the most rural, underserved, and complex environments. This year tested that role, but it also reaffirmed the essential nature of our collective work… Read the Full Letter Salary and Benefits Survey: NWRPCA 2026 Salary and Benefits Survey tool will be released to our Regional CHCs on March 18th.  There will be a “How To Fill Out The Tool” webinar on March 19th, 11:00 am PT Click here to register Reasons to fill out the Salary and Benefits Survey: Helps to level-set our region around compensation Helps to ease working with unions Demonstrates our Region CHCs are in-market with accurate data Helps with recruitment and retention Shows trends across our region in benefits and retention Gives succession planning insight For more information on past salary and benefits surveys, please follow this link: Salary Survey - Northwest Regional Primary Care Association HR Corner Confidentiality in the Age of Open Notes The shifts toward telemedicine and newly expanded patient access to medical records, driven in part by the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), have brought significant changes to how health information is documented and shared. The Cures Act was put into place to address “information blocking” which can obstruct communication that could be used to improve patient care. Withholding data from electronic health records (EHRs) or failing to provide access to medical records can impact care coordination and can harm a patient. Read more A Guide to Essential Cybersecurity Tasks for Health Centers:  For Health Centers With Limited Resources In an increasingly connected healthcare landscape, health centers face a dual challenge: the rising tide of cyber threats and the need to comply with stringent data protection regulations, all while managing limited resources. The ever-evolving nature of cyberattacks and the complexity of compliance requirements make it essential for health centers to prioritize cybersecurity tasks effectively. Read more CHC Board Corner Becoming a Teaching Health Center: TIPS FOR HEALTH CENTER BOARDS Fewer and fewer medical school graduates are pursuing careers in primary care, many current primary care providers plan to retire, and the pandemic has made it more challenging to retain existing providers. Teaching Health Centers aim to ensure that primary care providers continue to work in low-income communities, by providing training at federally qualified health centers (“health centers” in this document) and similar sites. Research by the Institute of Family Health, based in New York, shows that residents who train in health centers and look alikes are more likely to practice in medically underserved areas. Read more Clinicians Corner Level Up Your Diabetes Care LEVEL UP YOUR DIABETES CARE DSMES and the National DPP Integrating the National DPP lifestyle change program into your established DSMES services can help you maximize your impact on diabetes with a comprehensive suite of services. Read more Cervical Cancer Among Agricultural Worker Women: Prevalence and Best Practices By: Farmworker Justice & Health Outreach Partners To better understand the impact of cervical cancer among Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural (MSAW) women, we must recognize the level of awareness regarding the disease and the available care within this population. Read more Bridging Priorities: A Cross Sector Guide for Health Centers and Carceral Facilities Bridging Priorities: A Cross-Sector Guide for Health Centers and Carceral Facilities Strengthening Collaboration: Worksheet to Help Health Centers and Carceral Facilities Work Together Read more Mental health: Prison Policy Initiative Research on the prevalence and treatment of mental illness in the criminal legal system Read more The relationship between community public health, behavioral health service accessibility, and mass incarceration The relationship between healthcare service accessibility in the community and incarceration is an important, yet not widely understood, phenomenon. Read more Improving Depression Screening in Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative - PMC The increase in depression during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of systematic approaches to identify individuals with mental health concerns. Read more Remission in Major Depression: Results from a Geriatric Primary Care Population Depression is a common mental health problem in older adults, and is linked with increased medical comorbidity, disability, and mortality, underscoring the importance of complete treatment of depression to remission. Read more Upcoming NWRPCA Learning Opportunities Navigating Conflict, Change & Decision-Making for Leaders, Managers & Supervisors Tuesdays, March 17 - 31, 2026 Virtual, 3-part training This timely training equips CHC leaders, managers, and supervisors with practical skills to lead change, manage conflict, make better decisions, and strengthen employee engagement. Learn More Community Health Worker Supervision Webinars Thursdays, March 26 - April 9, 2026 Virtual, 3-part training This webinar series explores different aspects of CHW supervision, integration, and training. The separate modules within each series are 60 minutes, are interactive, and offer a limited resource toolkit. Learn More Clinical Learning for CHWs Training Series Thursdays, April 16 - May 14, 2026 Virtual, 5-part training These sessions are designed specifically to introduce Community Health Workers (CHWs) to the basic knowledge and skills needed to work in primary care settings. The modules are two hours long and are interactive and participatory. Learn More Region X Corner Post available jobs at your health center or view current openings at NW health centers. Recent openings: Alaska: Family Nurse Practitioner - Alaska Primary Care Association Idaho: Behavioral Health/Mental Health Provider - Desert Sage Health Centers - Career Page Oregon: Psychiatric Provider (NP/PA/MD) Washington: Chief Executive Officer Read news highlights about Region X health centers. Recent articles: Alaska: Bringing Care Where It’s Needed: Seward Community Health Center’s Mobile Clinic Idaho: Idaho health system awarded first SHIF grant for supportive housing Oregon: State behavioral health program linked to reduced justice-system involvement, increased substance use disorder treatment Washington: ICHS partners with SOUND Behavioral Health Housed in NWRPCA’s Learning Vault (our archive of FREE video recordings and resources from past trainings), Learning Modules are handpicked packages of training sessions tailored to your interests or job role, that allow you to cover important health center topics at your own pace. The Education Health Center Initiative (EHCI) provides consulting services, educational materials, and information about developing relationships between health centers and residency programs. Learn More View the latest funding opportunities, as well as other educational resources and information, on our website. Attend one of our in-person workshops or online webinars. Previously recorded events are also available. Thank you to our sponsors! Northwest Pulse is the newsletter of the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association. Each issue features a variety of information about community health, member news and spotlights, and important funding and workforce listings. Northwest Regional Primary Care Association 2026 We welcome your comments and feedback as well as your news items. Please email us your thoughts and your news, resources, and opportunities to share at [email protected]. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U58CS06846, "S/RPCAs," total award $950K, with 65% of program funded by nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. View email in browser Northwest Regional Primary Care Association · P.O. Box #9038 · Seattle, WA 98109 · USA update your preferences or unsubscribe Northwest Regional Primary Care Association · P.O. Box #9038 · Seattle, WA 98109 · USA