Five Rural Health Clinic Professionals Receive Certification

May 28, 2024

Five professionals representing four North Dakota Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) recently received leadership training from the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Program. Four of the participants were sponsored by the North Dakota Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) program. One of the participants was sponsored by the State Office of Rural Health (SORH). Flex and SORH are housed at the Center for Rural Health within the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

The National Association of Rural Health Clinics Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Certification is an eight-to-ten week online course with a proctored final exam. The program is designed to enhance knowledge to successfully run an RHC. The coursework includes topics such as scheduling, front office, and patient flow; internal controls; provider enrollment, cost reporting, revenue cycle basics, emergency preparedness, and many other areas. The individuals who earned the certification are:

• Isabella Chaput, Langdon Prairie Health, Langdon
  Flex sponsored
• Penny Lippert, Nelson County Health System, McVille
  Flex sponsored
• Jezzele Salazar, West River Health Services, Hettinger
  SORH sponsored
• Anna Walter, Center for Rural Health, Grand Forks
  Flex sponsored
• Stacy Wiest, South Central Health, Wishek
  Flex sponsored

Jody Ward, grant program director for Flex, said, "Having well-trained clinic leaders is an important aspect to running a successful Rural Health Clinic. We are proud to be able to provide this important education which will allow the clinics to continue to serve their communities at the highest levels of care."

Questions?

Jody Ward, grant program director
(701) 858-6729
jody.ward@UND.edu