PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
⚡️ Advocate for CHC Funding: New Opportunity with HRSA
Community Health Center (CHC) advocates already have much to celebrate this year, including the bipartisan $4.6 billion investment in the Community Health Center Fund—the largest increase to mandatory funding in a decade—and continued partnership with HRSA. These wins demonstrate strong recognition of the essential role CHCs play in delivering high-quality, affordable care to 52 million patients across medically underserved communities nationwide.
However, our work is far from over. Let's keep the momentum going by continuing to engage key decision makers and advocate for long-term, sustainable investments.
Advocates have a new opportunity to urge HRSA to prioritize CHC funding in these areas:
- Capital investments in health IT and technology infrastructure
- Expand behavioral health and nutrition services
- New Access Points to expand care in underserved communities
- Grow the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
🔒 IT Update: Microsoft 365 & PhishER+ Upgrade
IT successfully moved staff to Microsoft 365 in February and has upgraded our phishing alert system to PhishER+. The Phish Alert button stays the same, but the new system uses machine learning to detect threats faster, return safe emails to your inbox, and automatically remove malicious emails across PHS to help protect everyone.
🚨 Ransomware Reminder: Healthcare organizations are prime targets for ransomware attacks. A recent attack on the University of Mississippi Medical Center shut down 35 clinics and delayed patient care. One malicious email click can compromise systems, cause costly outages, and put patient data at risk—so always stay alert for suspicious emails.
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
PACE Marketing & Enrollment: Supporting Georgia's First PACE Launch
Our PACE Marketing and Enrollment team recently connected with the community liaison for Georgia's first PACE program, Hospice Savannah, as they prepare for their inaugural launch. Being the first in the state brings both opportunity and responsibility—building brand awareness, credibility, and community trust from the ground up.
During the conversation, our team shared practical insights on establishing strong community relationships, identifying key partners, growing referral sources, and clearly communicating the value of PACE in a new market.
To further support their efforts, PACE Burlington will host their new community liaison later this month for an immersive, on-site experience, offering operational insight, shadowing opportunities, and exposure to established engagement workflows.
Supporting the launch of Georgia's first PACE program highlights PHS's commitment to advancing the model nationally while strengthening collaboration across state lines.
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
Geriatric Workgroup Enhancement Program (GWEP) Update
Scott Clinic recently welcomed Dr. Mallory McLester Brown (UNC) and Dr. Joan East (PHS Innovation Center), who presented the Mobility component of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) 4Ms as part of our ongoing Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative. This session marks another exciting step forward in our multi-site grant journey.
We are sincerely grateful to the Moncure and Scott teams, along with our Innovation Center, PACE, and Grants partners, for their collaboration and commitment to advancing this important work. Together, these efforts are strengthening how we care for older adults, and we are excited to see the continued, meaningful impact on our geriatric patients across our sites.
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
Thank You to Our Testers: Testing Support Transition Update
We want to take a moment to thank all of our PHS testers who have supported system downtime weekends over the years. Your willingness to step in and give up personal time to help test and validate workflows has played a critical role in keeping our systems running smoothly and ensuring safe, reliable patient care.
If you have not noticed during the last two downtime events, with the addition of our new Health Systems Applications Team, we are now serving as the dedicated testers for downtime weekends moving forward. This will help relieve our PHS testers from ongoing weekend testing commitments while still ensuring thorough validation during these critical windows.
We are incredibly grateful for all the time and effort you have given in the past and appreciate the teamwork that has made this possible. We are also thankful to have a dedicated team in place to support this work moving forward. Teamwork!
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
🌟 Celebrating Maritza Crawley: Jordan Institute Fellow
Behavioral Health proudly celebrates Maritza Crawley for being selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Jordan Institute Fellowship for Social Work Leaders at the UNC School of Social Work.
We're excited to introduce Maritza Crawley, a Jordan Institute Fellow and bilingual, Afro-Latina social worker with over 15 years of experience. Born in Panama, Maritza brings a rich multicultural lens to her clinical and leadership work.
Maritza has served in integrated healthcare and crisis settings, including leading teams of clinical social workers. Her practice is grounded in evidence-based, trauma-informed care, with training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Gestalt therapy, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Deeply committed to mentorship, Maritza has supervised numerous social work interns and clinical associates. Outside of work, she finds renewal in her garden and enjoys life with her adult son and her dog, Celo.
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
2026 ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership
Thrilled to be attending the 2026 ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership. As a healthcare leader, it's especially meaningful to join nearly 7,000 colleagues for three powerful days of learning, connection, and purpose-driven conversations.
From Adam Grant's opening keynote to sessions on mentorship, AI implementation, intentional leadership, workforce transformation, and care innovation — every moment has reinforced why we do what we do.
Grateful for the chance to recharge, exchange ideas with fellow executives and friends, and bring home actionable strategies to strengthen Piedmont Health Services Inc and the communities we serve.
PHS Updates or Announcements · PHS-All Sites
💊 Welcome to the Clinical Pharmacy Hub: Alysa Vereen!
Our Clinical Pharmacy Hub is growing! Welcome Alysa Vereen, Clinical Pharmacist for our Refill project! She will be located with Jocelynn Dotson in the Clinical Pharmacy Hub space at Charles Drew CHC. We are so excited to have her join our team!!
Alysa will be training/spending time with the pharmacy and provider teams over the coming weeks and soon will head up our provider refill project. Please welcome her if you see her around the center.
Kudos / Recognition · PHS-All Sites
🤱 IBCLC Appreciation Day – March 5th
Thursday March 5th is IBCLC Appreciation Day. WIC has 2 IBCLCs: Kim Nguyen and Dinesha Okaforagu. We appreciate everything you both do for our breastfeeding community!
Did you know? International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) provide critical support to expectant parents, new mothers, and the healthcare teams who form their circle of care.
Kudos / Recognition · PHS-All Sites
🦷🎉 National Dentist Day – Friday, March 6, 2026
It's National Dentist Day! 😁 Let's celebrate the amazing dentists who keep our smiles healthy, bright, and full of confidence. From routine checkups to saving the day with a tricky procedure, these tooth heroes make a big impact every single day.
Thank you for all your care, expertise, and the smiles you create! ✨💙
Kudos / Recognition · PHS-All Sites
🎉🦷 National Dental Assistant's Week 2026
Hip hip hooray for our amazing dental assistants! 🥳 This week we're celebrating YOU—the heroes behind every healthy smile. Thank you for your skill, care, and all the ways you make our days brighter (and our patients happier)! 😁💙
Dental assistants are the backbone of every great dental team — thank you for your dedication to every patient's smile!
Kudos / Recognition · PHS-All Sites
🎉 Employee Appreciation Day – March 6
Cookies ✅
Smiles ✅
Senior Leaders ✅
Lots of Appreciation ✅
I want to take a moment to recognize each of you for your dedication, passion, and hard work. Your commitment makes our mission possible every day, and it does not go unnoticed. Thank you for everything you do to make our team, our patients, and our community stronger.
You make our workplace shine! ✨💛
Kudos / Recognition · PHS-All Sites
🎊 ACHE Fellowship Convocation – Congratulations!
For me, this was a long process, but it was absolutely worth every step. It enabled me to grow both professionally and personally, while also meeting incredible people along the way. Many of them are now my friends and mentors — ACHE of the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina.
I am grateful and honored to be a part of this remarkable community of healthcare leaders who are committed to lifelong learning, ethics, and service.
Last Sunday, I had the privilege of participating in the convocation for the fellows of the 2025 cohort during the #ACHECongress organized by the American College of Healthcare Executives — and now more than ever, my heart is dedicated to serving all the people, the communities and teams we have the privilege of serving, and that deserve nothing but the best of us. 🎊🎊🎊
Kudos / Recognition · PHS-All Sites
🌟 Shout Out: Dr. Swan & the Carrboro Dental Team
There's nothing we love more than hearing from our patients! A big shout-out to Dr. Swan and the Carrboro Dental team for receiving a wonderful review from a grateful patient.
We know a trip to the dentist can feel nerve-wracking for some, which is why our team is committed to providing gentle, high-quality care in an environment where every patient feels heard, comfortable, and supported.
Great work, team! 😁💙
Looking Ahead Together
As we conclude another week filled with effort, growth, and meaningful progress, pause for a moment to acknowledge the distance you have already traveled. Every action you take, no matter how modest, creates the momentum that propels us toward an even brighter week ahead. You have demonstrated resilience, creativity, and dedication, and this energy transforms solid weeks into truly exceptional ones. Continue to trust in your capacity to learn, adapt, and accomplish far more than you once believed possible. The greatest achievements still lie before us—let us move forward together and seize them!
Let us advance with strength and enthusiasm! Every effort matters, every step brings us closer to our goals, and together we are building something extraordinary. Until next week, with even greater energy and determination!
¡Sigamos adelante con fuerza y entusiasmo! Cada esfuerzo cuenta, cada avance nos acerca más a nuestras metas, y juntos estamos construyendo algo increíble. ¡Hasta la próxima semana, con más energía y determinación que nunca!
With gratitude,
Daniella Jaimes-Colina, PhD, MBA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
