About Us
We are APHCA
MISSION. MEMBERS. SERVICE.
The Alabama Primary Health Care Association is the professional association representing the operational, clinical, and financial interests of community health centers. Health centers are the cornerstone of Alabama’s primary care system and represent the largest group of primary care providers serving over 350,000 medically underserved patients annually across 166 community locations.
PURPOSE
We are a catalyst for high performance, optimizing the value and impact of our Network through quality and outcomes.
VISION
APHCA is compelled by a vision of a future in which its health care Network is recognized as a leading value-based, patient-centered system of care.
VALUES
People: We care passionately about the people we work with and those we serve. We believe everyone has value and intentionally build relationships to help individuals, teams, and organizations reach their highest levels of performance.
Unity & Trust: We believe we are stronger together and that progress happens at the speed of trust. We rely on active listening, empathy, and crucial and accountable conversations to create and sustain a foundation of unity and trust.
Excellence: We work together to understand what needs to be done and acquire expertise and resources to develop, implement and sustain solutions that empower teams drive high performance and improved outcomes. We are one team and measure ourselves against the highest standards of integrity, performance, and fiscal responsibility and will exceed expectations through continuous improvement and the delivery of remarkable services.
Performance: We believe people are inspired to do their best work when engaged in relationships and processes that contribute to something bigger than themselves. We leverage our time, talents, and resources to help others achieve performance. We focus on the quality and impact of programs, products, and services to achieve meaningful performance improvement in operations and outcomes.
Values in Action
People
1. Respect others
2. Be friendly and approachable
3. Communicate as personally as possible
4. Assume positive intent
5. Be a source of acknowledgement and appreciation
6. Seek to understand others
7. Listen and learn without judgement
8. Check the ego at the door
Values in Action
Unity & Trust
9. Maintain confidentiality
10. Honor your commitments
11. Take personal responsibility
12. Speak straight
13. Share information
14. Get the facts
15. Communicate to be understood
16. Don’t overreact
17. Be there for each other
18. Have fun!
Values in Action
Excellence
19. Appearance counts
20. Attitude is everything
21. Work skillfully
22. Look ahead, anticipate
23. Practice blameless problem solving
24. Think systematically
25. Orient to solutions, not problems
26. Deliver remarkable service
27. Do the right thing – always
28. Be relentless about growth
Values in Action
Performance
29. Be obsessive about organization
30. Be process oriented
31. Be meticulous with the details
32. Be a fanatic about response time
33. Follow up on everything
34. Do what’s best for the team
35. Find a way
36. Deliver results
37. Make a dent in the universe
APHCA takes a unique approach to strengthening its community health Network by developing individuals, optimizing team performance, and leveraging advanced care models. This approach creates the framework which improves quality and health outcomes, enhances patient and staff experiences, and reduces the cost of care.
APHCA has led:
- Adoption and implementation of electronic health record systems at a level above the national average;
- Achievement and optimization of patient centered medical home recognition through The Joint Commission and/or NCQA at a level that is 70% higher than other states;
- Advancement of health IT and quality at a level that is 84% higher than other states; the 9th highest level of performance among health centers nationally;
- Provision of care to 20% more patients per health center than served in other states; and
- Demonstration of continued readiness and full program compliance at a level three times higher than health centers nationally.
Alabama’s community health centers are at the forefront of Alabama’s primary care system in providing high quality, cost effective health care services to over 300,000 Alabamians across 173 different practice locations statewide. Health centers are comprehensive primary care systems that welcome all patients across all age groups, regardless of income or insurance status. While not free clinics, health centers provide affordable medical, dental, behavioral health, vision, and enabling services under one roof. APHCA’s health centers employ nearly 2,000 Alabamians, including almost 500 providers, and have a statewide economic impact of $346 million annually.
Compared to private primary care providers, health centers serve more publicly insured recipients and uninsured patients with very low incomes who generally have higher occurrence of chronic disease: 46% have no health insurance coverage, 28.5% have Medicaid, 10% have Medicare, and 15% have private insurance coverage.
Health centers are leading practice transformation efforts by operating within nationally recognized care platforms designed to reduce health disparities and improve the health outcomes of patients and communities. Alabama’s health centers have joined together to form the Intelligent Care Network, a statewide network of health centers demonstrating how primary care systems can increase quality and improve patient outcomes while reducing costs. With values rooted in patient-centered, team-based, and technology-enabled care, the Intelligent Care Network is a leader in population health management.
For 36 years, APHCA has been committed to strengthening and growing a Network of community health providers that improve population health by expanding access to affordable primary care and prevention services. Working with members, partners, and stakeholders we educate, motivate, and support high performance through patient-centered systems of care, continuous improvement, advanced health information technology, and the adoption of proven standards and practices.
We cannot – and do not – work alone. APHCA engages stakeholders through collaborative agreement, key initiatives, strategic partnerships, membership programs, and services designed to meet the unique needs of community health systems. Contact us to learn how you can get involved.
Recruiting Referral Program
Recruiting in primary care comes with a unique set of challenges. Not only is it difficult to recruit providers and allied health care in rural areas, but health centers generally serve a population with complex health conditions that is aging and becoming increasingly diverse. Furthermore, FQHCs are typically not equipped with a full-time recruiter on staff to effectively strategize and market opportunities and interview candidates to ensure a good fit.
As the voice for community health centers, APHCA recognizes these challenges and has strategically developed a Recruiting Referral Program to offer its members access to experienced recruiters from various reputable firms who have years of experience recruiting for rural and underserved areas. By collaborating with APHCA, recruiting firms can gain access to member organizations and can positively impact the community health center network by offering reduced time-to-hire, cost reductions and quality of hire.
APHCA’s Recruiting Referral Program was developed for recruiting firms that wish to build long lasting, successful relationships with APHCA and its members. Eligible collaborators include representatives from contingency and retained firms offering permanent placements for both medical providers and allied health workers and must be approved through APHCA’s application process. From direct introduction of key stakeholders to opportunities for presentation and showcase, to opportunities for key collaboration—referral status with APHCA opens doors to better know and understand Alabama’s safety net arena thus providing a recruiting pipeline for the future.
