Federal Policy & Advocacy
Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor HR 7391
Last week, 60 North Carolina Community Health Center leaders traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with all 16 members of North Carolina's Congressional Delegation and their staff. During those meetings, they urged House members to co-sponsor H.R. 7391, the Community Health Center Drug Pricing Protection Act, a newly introduced bipartisan bill that would exempt Community Health Centers from a harmful 340B rebate model.
To date, there are 35 co-sponsors, with none from NC yet. H.R. 7391 protects Community Health Centers' ability to receive upfront 340B discounts, rather than forcing them to pay full list price for medications and wait for manufacturers to issue rebates.
We can stand with the health center leaders who traveled to Capitol Hill last week by amplifying their message here at home. Contact your US House member and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 7391.
Action Item: Contact your US House representative and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 7391 to protect Community Health Center drug pricing.
PHS Updates & Announcements
Behavioral Health Welcomes Two New Team Members
We are excited to welcome Jada Flowers, LCSW, our new School-Based Behavioral Health clinician. Jada will be providing behavioral health services at our two new school locations: Central Elementary School and Gravelly Middle School.
We are also pleased to welcome Shatanya Walker, LCSW, who joins us as a Behavioral Health clinician at our Prospect Hill clinic.
We are very happy to have Jada and Shatanya joining our team and look forward to the positive impact they will make in our communities!
Launch of End-of-Life & Palliative Care Training at PACE Burlington
End-of-Life & Palliative Care Training launched this week at PACE Burlington, marking an important step forward in strengthening our clinical excellence and interdisciplinary alignment. Led by Dr. Margaret Drickamer, geriatrician and hospice and palliative care specialist, the session provided a comprehensive overview of end-of-life and palliative care best practices, grounded in both clinical evidence and the historical evolution of hospice care in the United States.
Clinical Indicators
Recognizing clinical indicators of decline, particularly in participants with dementia, such as weight loss and progressive functional deterioration
End-of-Life Phase
Identifying when individuals may be entering the end-of-life phase and aligning care plans accordingly
Compassionate Conversations
Approaching conversations about death and dying with cultural humility and sensitivity
This session, "Understanding Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care," is the first in a three-part series. Upcoming sessions will focus on Advance Care Planning and Empathic Communication—deepening our PACE team's ability to lead meaningful conversations and guide families with confidence and empathy.
Project Catalyst Weekly Update
Key Milestones
- The Core Team exceeded the OCHIN goal of identifying 20 percent of Super Users by reaching 23 percent across PHS
- The Health Systems Applications Team successfully applied learning pathways in ELLA to 100 percent of identified Super Users to support upcoming training (GOAL MET)
- As of February 13, we have reached 85 percent Clearinghouse enrollment, ahead of the March 1 target of 50 percent
This week we've continued moving from planning into the hands-on configuration phase of our Epic transition.
01
User Configuration in Progress
We are continuing to assign system roles to providers and Super Users within Epic to support upcoming testing and training along with PHS 500+ staff. Similar to how security rights are assigned in Athena/Dentrix today, each user in Epic will be assigned a role that determines what they can see and do within the system based on their job responsibilities.
02
Training Environment Readiness
We are preparing to release Epic training access through ELLA (Epic Learning and Launch Academy). As access becomes available, Super Users will begin receiving training assignments based on their role, which may include a mix of independent study modules and scheduled live sessions.
03
Training Resource Hub
We are developing a centralized Epic Training Resource Guide. This will provide direct access to login support, role-based training guidance, and workflow job aids in one location to reduce the need to search across multiple sources.
Kudos: A big thank you to both the Core Team and Health Systems Applications Team for the collaboration and momentum this week. Your efforts are keeping us on track for testing and go-live readiness.
Stay Connected
Retirement Plan Transition – T. Rowe Price
The Blackout Period will end on February 20th. Once it has ended you will have full access to your retirement account at T. Rowe Price. Please register to attend one of the webinars on February 26th to learn additional details.
Webinar Topic: Savings Strategies and Web Demo (highlighting changing contributions and updating beneficiary info)
Meeting Times (all on February 26th):
- 8:30am ET
- 12:30pm ET
- 4:30pm ET
Heart of Healthcare Gala 2026
We will proudly recognize our Service Award Recipients at our 2026 Heart of Healthcare Gala on Saturday, March 14th.
Invites were sent out via email from Evite on January 26th. If you didn't receive your invite please 1) check your Admin Junk Summary to see if the message was flagged as spam, or 2) send an email to Kaelah Alston at Alstonk@piedmonthealth.org to have the invite resent from Evite.
Important Dates:
- RSVP Deadline is TODAY: February 20th
- Hotel Discount Deadline: February 27th
To book a room at Drury Inn & Suites at a discounted rate, please use the following link: Book Your Room
Community & Workforce Development Spotlight
Earlier this week, members of our medical team, along with Dr. Mancheno, CMO, visited the Duke FM Rural Medicine Residents at Duke Primary Care Oxford. The visit provided an opportunity to increase awareness of Piedmont Health Services and the role community health centers play in delivering full-spectrum, community-based care.
The Rural Medicine Residency follows a 1+2 model, with residents completing their first year in Durham and their second and third years serving rural communities through Duke Primary Care Oxford and partner sites like Piedmont.
We're grateful for opportunities like this to strengthen partnerships, support the future workforce, and highlight the impact of community-centered care.
Kudos & Recognition
January 2026 Everyday Hero of the Month
Congratulations to Alejandra Palacios, our January 2026 Everyday Hero of the Month! 🎉
The Everyday Hero Program was created to recognize team members who consistently go above and beyond and who embody our core values of collaboration, community, communication, compassion, and integrity. Alejandra's dedication and impact reflect the very best of who we are at Piedmont Health Services.
Each month, staff may submit one nomination highlighting a colleague who exemplifies these values. A small committee reviews nominations and selects the Everyday Hero of the Month, who receives a recognition feature, a gift card or Bonusly points, and a reserved parking space for the month.
Thank you for helping us celebrate the incredible work happening across our organization and for continuing to lift one another up.
Rise: Embodied Leadership Summit for Women 2026
Exciting news! We will be participating in the Rise: Embodied Leadership Summit for Women 2026 as a Table Sponsor, alongside members of our leadership team.
RISE is a powerful space for women leaders to reconnect with purpose, build community, and strengthen the skills needed to lead with clarity and resilience. Participating as a Table Sponsor reflects our belief that investing in our people—and creating opportunities to grow together—is essential to strong, sustainable leadership.
This summit aligns closely with our values of equity, dignity, and community-centered leadership. It offers meaningful professional development through connection, reflection, and shared experience.
"When leaders make space for their teams to learn and rise together, the impact extends far beyond the room."
Table of Experts: CEO Confidential
This month, I had the opportunity to participate in CEO Confidential, a fantastic quarterly series hosted by Triangle Business Journal in partnership with Gallagher and Dogwood State Bank.
These intimate President's Dinners bring together emerging and seasoned executives for candid, peer-to-peer conversations about the biggest economic and business issues facing our region and state. It was a great chance to share insights, build real connections, and focus on the kind of civic-minded leadership that matters right now. Really valuable experience—looking forward to the next one!
Looking Ahead Together
As we wrap up this week's update, let's carry forward the momentum we've built together. Your unwavering dedication—whether in welcoming new colleagues, advancing our Epic transition, advocating for our communities, or embodying our core values every day—is what truly drives Piedmont Health Services forward. Together, we are not just meeting challenges; we are rising above them, expanding our impact, and making a profound difference in the lives we serve.
Keep shining with that same passion, resilience, and heart. The best is yet to come—because of you.Thank you for all you do. Have a restorative weekend, and let's continue this journey stronger than ever next week.Sigan brillando con esa misma pasión, resiliencia y corazón. Lo mejor está por venir —gracias a ustedes.¡Gracias por todo lo que hacen! Que tengan un fin de semana reparador, y continuemos este camino más fuertes que nunca la próxima semana.
With gratitude,
Daniella Jaimes-Colina, PhD, MBA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
