Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP)

Community Health Centers encounter many challenges and opportunities on the federal, state, and local levels. Advocate burnout is real, but hope is abundant and health center advocacy has never been more important. The NACHC Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP) is a virtual skill-building program that provides experiential training, resources/tools, and hands-on experience to emerging leaders as they work to build advocacy engagement within their Health Centers, PCA/HCCNs, and communities.

 

The Fall 2025 ALP cohort has reached capacity and registration is now closed. Please email Sarah Francois at sfrancois@nachc.org if you would like to be added to the Spring 2026 ALP priority registration list. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 
  • NACHC hosts two virtual ALP cohorts every year (Spring and Fall). Each cohort consists of:
    • One intensive half-day virtual kickoff workshop that covers Health Center Advocacy 101 topics and opportunities for peer networking.
    • Monthly educational webinars that highlight additional topics of interest, such as:
      • Creating a culture of advocacy
      • Advocacy action planning
      • Advocacy communications
      • Engaging with elected officials, and more!
  • The time commitment for ALP is roughly (4) four hours per month. Participants are expected to submit an advocacy action plan, participate in monthly webinars/assignments and present a final project at the end of each cohort.
  • While live participation is encouraged for maximum learning and networking, all trainings are recorded and can be viewed later date.
  • Participants who meet the qualifications above will receive a completion certificate from NACHC and earn coveted title “Master of Advocacy”!
  • Anyone with a direct connection to the Community Health Center Movement who has not previously participated in ALP is eligible, including:
    • Health center or PCA/HCCN staff
    • Health center board members
    • Health center patients
  • Advocacy does not have to be your full-time job, but we recommend that each ALP participant be someone who can dedicate time to organizing efforts that help foster a culture of advocacy within your organization.
  • The program covers mostly introductory topics and is best suited to individuals who are newer in the health center advocacy space.
  • Due to limited capacity, a maximum of two (2) people from a single organization may participate in each cohort.

The Fall 2025 ALP cohort has reached capacity and registration is now closed. Please email Sarah Francois at sfrancois@nachc.org if you would like to be added to the Spring 2026 ALP priority registration list. 

  • Each cohort begins with a virtual half-day kickoff workshop, followed by 3 monthly webinars. The tentative Fall 2025 schedule is as follows:
    • Module 1/Kickoff: September 11, 2025 (1:00 – 4:30pm ET)
    • Module 2: October 9, 2025 (3:00 – 4:15pm ET)
    • Module 3: November 13, 2025 (3:00 – 4:15pm ET)
    • Module 4: December 11, 2025 (3:00 – 4:15pm ET)
  • The cost is $25 per participant.
  • Due to limited capacity, a maximum of two (2) people from a single organization may participate in each cohort.

Past ALP Graduates:

Yacin Benavides, MedX (PR)
Tiffany Bridges, Special Health Resources (TX)
Denise Carpenter, NorthShore Health Centers (IN)
Hanna Case, Community Health Development, Inc. (TX)
Arielle Elmaleh-Sachs, MD, MS, Family Health Centers at NYU Langone (NY)
Brynn Felix, Peninsula Community Health Services (WA)
Rafat Fields, Powered to Rise (AZ)
Alexa Geiger, Lorain County Health & Dentistry (OH)
Ryan Gerber, Columbia Valley Community Health (WA)
Prabhneet Girn, MPH, Arize Care Consulting (IN)
Lauren Grimmett, Johnson Health Center (VA)
Alyssa Gurney, MHA, Central Valley Health Network (CA)
Brittany Hamm, NP, Lake Superior Community Health Center (MN)
Deborah Hartranft, Berks Community Health Center (PA)
Stephanie Helbling, Valley Health Partners Community Health Center (PA)
Kerri Hodges, All Care Health Center (IA)
Katlyn Humphreys, East Texas Community Health Services (TX)
Sally Kate Humphries, HealthPoint (TX)
Rebecca Hurni, HealthLinc (IN)
Rebecca Johnson, Lake Superior Community Health Center (MN)
Poonam Kalaria, PharmD, Henry J. Austin Health Center (NJ)
Heidi Kurgat, Marana Health (AZ)
Jessica Laycock, Mary’s Center (DC)
Jason Lohr, SAC Health (CA)
Aidan Lurtz, Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FL)
Dusti Manning, Alcona Health Center (MI)
Lorrie McGonigle, One Cross Community Health (KY)
Denise McKinney, Kinston Community Health Center (NC)
Marlyn Molero, NRG Oncology (CA)
Laura O’Doherty, Sun River Health (NY)
Alejandra Perez, San Ysidro Health (CA)
Liz Pina, HealthLinc (IN)
Raven Pugh, Family Care Health Centers (MO)
Idalis Riley, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center (MN)
Michele Rudolphi, Neighborhood Health Center (IN)
Marcus Schweisthal, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center (MN)
Shaina Seaborne, APRN, One Cross Clinic (KY)
Danielle Solick, Santa Cruz Community Health Center (CA)
Aaron Soroa-Alvarez, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (MA)
Erin Spencer, Columbia Valley Community Health (WA)
Tamara Sumpter, Sandhills Medical (SC)
Giovanni Tec, San Ysidro Health (CA)
Virgil Thomas, Primary Care of Southwest Georgia (GA)
Ashley Tompkins, Special Health Resources (TX)
Joanna Valdez Castro, California Primary Care Association (CA)
Lori-Anne Vogel, Cornerstone Service Corp (NC)
Jensen Zinn, Muskingum Valley Health Centers (OH)

Tawana Bailey (East Arkansas Family Health Center, AR)
Meagan Bratton (South Plains Rural Health Services, Inc., TX)
Emily Brooks (AccelHealth, TX)
Daniele Bryant (Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics, CA)
Thrasher Carmichael IV (Eskenazi Health Center, IN)
Lisa Castile (NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, MN)
Katie Chamberlin (Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS), CO)
Kimberly Dyke-Harsley (Johnson Health Center, VA)
Alicia Ekstrom (The Chautauqua Center, NY)
Kayla Evans (Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS), CO)
Maria Ferraris (Mission Mobile Medical, NC)
David Goines (Progressive Community Health Centers, WI)
Alicia Harmon (Northwest Michigan Health Services Inc., MI)
Catherine Hoey (Kennedy Community Health Center, MA)
James Holloway (St. James-Santee Family Health Center, Inc., SC)
dianna Huddleston (Aspire Indiana Health, IN)
Jess Hughes (Progressive Community Health Centers, WI)
Meredith Kahl (Primary Care of Southwest Georgia, Inc., GA)
Kailey Kanaziz (Northwest Michigan Health Services Inc., MI)
LToya Knighten (Variety Care, OK)
Javier Landivar (Access Community Health Network, IL)
Eric Lopez (South Plains Rural Health Services, Inc., TX)
Danielle MacBain (Mosaic Community Health, OR)
Michele McFarland (Eskenazi Medical Group, IN)
Kim McKenna (One Cross Community, KY)
Stephanie McNelly (Scenic Bluffs Health Center Inc, WI)
Salman Munawar (Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS), NY)
Jason Qualls (NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, MN)
Gabrielle Roach (Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, NC)
Liz Schenkel (Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, Inc. (CHAD), SD)
Eva Scheppa (Family Health Center Of Marshfield, WI)
Sherrie Simpson (NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, MN)
Zesira Smith (Peak Vista Community Health Centers, CO)
Ed Smith-Burns (La Clinica, OR)
Rachel Stankowski (Family Health Center Of Marshfield, WI)
Nicole Stephens (Heartland Health Services, IL)
Sarah Szostak (Thunder Bay Community Health Service, MI)
Esther Taylor (AccelHealth, TX)
Mike Wynn (Grace Health, KY)
Jenny Xhemaj (Westside Family Healthcare, DE)

Arlet Arratoonian (Family Health Care Centers of Greater Los Angeles, CA)
Julie Blauman (Healthcare Network, FL)
Amy Bull (Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Inc., VA)
Tracy Butler (Lone Star Family Health Center, TX)
Bailey Byker (HealthPoint Texas, TX)
Nelly Clotter-Woods (Arizona Caregiver Coalition, AZ)
Kendra Cole Walker (Valley Health Partners, PA)
Carmen Cummings (InclusivCare, LA)
Gail B. Diggs (Rural Health Services, Inc., SC)
Sarah Ezell (SEMO Health Network, MO)
Krista Garus (HealthLinc, IN)
Madeline Gillenwater (Muskingum Valley Health Centers, OH)
Mary Grace Gomilla (Axis Community Health, CA)
Melanie Gonring (Lakeshore Community Health Care, WI)
Cecily Jackson (AltaPointe Health, AL)
LaShanda Johnson Green (Medical Associates Plus, GA)
Patrick Jones (Washington Association for Community Health, WA)
Janelle Kassien (East Jordan Family Health Center, MI)
Rachel Krino (East Jordan Family Health Center, MI)
Kim Kuhlmann (Community Healthcare Association of the Dakotas, ND)
Marjie Laciak (HealthLinc, IN)
Kim Laloma (New Jersey Department of Health, NJ)
Gigi Lewis (Rural Health Services, Inc., SC)
Victoria Malichi (Indiana Health Centers, Inc., IN)
Jesus Martell Gonzalez (Clinica Sierra Vista, CA)
Rachel Mayberry (Hunter Health, KS)
Jonathan Miller (Evara Health, FL)
Michael Mitchell (CareSouth Medical & Dental, LA)
Fatima Naeem (HealthPoint Texas, TX)
Gabrielle O’Boyle (Healthcare Network, FL)
Phyllis Priest (East Jordan Family Health Center, MI)
Abby Ries (Lakeshore Community Health Care, WI)
Ernest Robert (InclusivCare, LA)
Cassandra Rossel (Families Together of Orange County, CA)
Nicholas Ruiz (Citrus Health Network, Inc., FL)
Colleen Rutledge (340B Technology Expert, NJ)
Genoveva Segura (HealthFirst Bluegrass, KY)
April Slusher (Compass Community Health, OH)
Moira Tan (TrueCare, CA)
Robin Taylor (HealthLinc, IN)
Victoria Tishman (Axis Community Health, CA)
Aimee Wechsler (The Wright Center for Community Health, PA)
Tamika Williams Obeng (St. Williams Health & Wellness, SC)
Kendall Willis (HealthFirst Bluegrass, KY)
Rita Aceves (CHASS Center, Inc., MI)
Jennifer Armontrout (Centerpoint Health, OH)
Blandine Augustin (Neighborhood Health, VA)
Charissa Carter (Georgia Mountains Health, GA)
Andrea Castaneda (CHASS Center, Inc., MI)
Noah Chase (New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc., SC)
Jackie Chiofalo (The Institute for Family Health, NY)
Spencer Darr (CommUnityCare Health Centers, TX)
Dana Flanery (Family Health Services of Darke County, Inc., OH)
Aurora Garcia-Barrera (Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers, CA)
Neyssa García-Toucet (Centerpoint Health, OH)
Ginger Geoffery (Neighborhood Health Center, NY)
Slyvia Gordon (Southeast Community Health Systems, LA)
Elle Grant (California Primary Care Association, CA)
Vanessa Holley (Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, NC)
Hannah Hudson (Maine Primary Care Association, ME)
Teresa Huggins (Stigler Health & Wellness Center, OK)
LaVonda Johnson (Sandhills Medical Foundation, Inc., SC)
Latina Karpinsky (New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc., SC)
Kelly Kupcak (Valley View Health Centers, OH)
Alfonso Leggette (Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, OH)
Kaitlyn Magee (Southeast Community Health Systems, LA)
Grace Marshall (Open Door Health Center, MN)
Marissa McGrath (Unity Care NW, WA)
Temika Michael Simmons (Delta Health Center, MS)
Gladys Montemayor (TCA Health, Inc., IL)
Jessica Moreland Long (Missouri Primary Care Association, MO)
Mikayla Morris (Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, NC)
Abhishek Nitturkar (Keystone Health, PA)
Stephan Nwagwu (Honor Community Health, MI)
Heather Patosky (Westside Family Healthcare, DE)
Shoshi Preuss (Colorado Community Health Network, CO)
Rebekah Price (Indiana Health Centers, Inc., IN)
Adam White (The Centers, OH)
Rebecca Alcantar (AltaMed, CA)
Scott Anglemyer (Community Care Network of Kansas, KS)
Kyron Banks (Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, NY)
Taylor Beckwith (California Primary Care Association, CA)
Denise Belle (Rural Health Group, Inc., NC)
Marie Bradshaw (HealthFirst Bluegrass Inc., KY)
Andrew Brake (CAMcare Health Corporation, NJ)
Ashley Brickey (Compass Community Health, OH)
Aluriel Ceballos (Golden Valley Health Centers, CA)
Holly Chase (Tandem Health, SC)
Daniel Coakley (North End Waterfront (NEW) Health, MA)
Lexy Eggert (Horizon Health Care, Inc., SD)
Larry Flanagan (Manet Community Health Center, MA)
Dalia Galvan Morales (Erie Family Health Center, Inc., IL)
Cassidy Hayes (Caring Health Center, MA)
April Kiefer (Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation, IL)
Ashley Killion (HealthFirst Bluegrass Inc., KY)
Julie Leyba (Northeast Valley Health Corporation, CA)
Cristina Luna (North End Waterfront (NEW) Health, MA)
Jennifer Paszko (Hudson Headwaters Health Network, NY)
Jackie Provost (Saban Community Clinic, CA)
Christine Riley (MidMichigan Community Health Services, MI)
Kathryn Rodenmeyer (Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, MS)
Bryan Rodriguez (Denver Health’s Community Health Services, CO)
Lindsay Sailor (Michigan Primary Care Association, MI)
Cynthia Sierra (Manet Community Health Center, MA)
Caroline Smith (West Virginia Primary Care Association, WV)
Sarah Taft (Community Medical Centers, Inc., CA)
Michelle White (Glacier Community Health Centers, Inc., MT)
Renay Agli (Tri-County Health Center, RI)
Amanda Ambrosio (Rocking Horse Community Health Center, OH)
Ignacio Amezquita (Urban Health Plan, NY)
Sue Barnhart (Keystone Health Center, PA)
Nate Boateng (Valley Health Partners, PA)
Stacie Borrello (North Carolina Community Health Center Association, NC)
Prianka Bose (Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, HI)
Ashley Cobb (Valley Healthcare System, Inc., GA)
Melissa Davis (Florida Community Health Centers, Inc., FL)
Denise Della-Sabas (Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, HI)
Jennifer DiSalle (Kodiak Community Health Center, AK)
Nicole Echols (HopeHealth, Inc., SC)
Michelle Ellison (Valley Health Partners, PA)
Anisa Gonzales (Valle del Sol, AZ)
Linda Gutierrez (Centerpoint Health, OH)
Jason Jenders (Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, WI)
Kathryn King (CHAMPS, CO)
Emily Krizmanich (CHAMPS, CO)
Sundeep Malhi (HealthPoint, WA)
Jaclyn McDonald (Northwest Colorado Health, CO)
Suzanne McEachron (Premier Community HealthCare Group, FL)
Victoria Minnix (El Rio Health, AZ)
Lisa Nelson (Unity Care NW, WA)
Danielle Pierce (Equitas Health, OH)
Derek Pihl (Salina Family Healthcare, KS)
Brenda Reitz (Family Health Service of Darke County, OH)
Georgina Rivera-Singletary (Premier Community HealthCare Group, FL)
Hayley Samford (Salina Family Healthcare, KS)
Sendy Sanchez (Community Health Association Inland Southern Region, CA)
Mark Stewart (Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc., PA)
R. Logan Yoho (Hopewell Health Centers, OH)
Nicole Lamb-Menz (East Texas Community Health Services, Inc., TX)
Marianne Gideon (Centerville Clinics, PA)
Sara Grambach (Duffy Health Center, MA)
Nicole Lamb-Menz (East Texas Community Health Services, Inc., TX)
Leann Marcinek (Westside Family Healthcare, DE)
Ricardo Rinconeno (PrimeCare Health Community Health Centers, IL)
Jessica Staples (Valley Health Systems, Inc., WV)