Business Details
39 Years
experience
Alabama Primary Health Care Association
The Alabama Primary Health Care Association (APHCA) serves as a catalyst for high performance and improved outcomes across its healthcare network. Founded to strengthen community health providers, APHCA represents over 166 health centers delivering primary care to medically underserved populations. Our mission focuses on optimizing value through quality care, policy advocacy, and operational excellence. With a statewide economic impact of $346 million annually, we employ nearly 2,000 Alabamians, including 500 providers, and serve 350,000 patients yearly. APHCA advances electronic health records adoption, patient-centered medical home recognition, and health IT innovation at rates exceeding national averages.Our Intelligent Care Network reduces costs while improving outcomes through data-driven population health management. We provide credentialing, compliance, and workforce development services tailored to federally qualified health centers. Collaborating with federal and state stakeholders, APHCA offers training programs on HIV prevention, compliance, and emergency preparedness. Our membership benefits include policy advocacy, performance improvement initiatives, and discounted educational events. For 36 years, APHCA has expanded access to affordable care while maintaining 3x higher federal compliance rates than national health centers.
Services
Practice Transformation
Credentialing Services
Health Information Technology
Quality Improvement
Workforce Development
Compliance Training
Policy Advocacy
Data Analytics
Member Networking
Emergency Preparedness
Details
- Year established: 1987
Highlights and features
- We represent 80% of Alabama counties through 166 health centers
- Our network serves 350,000 patients annually with 2,000+ employees
- We maintain 3x higher federal program compliance rates than national averages
- Our Intelligent Care Network improves outcomes through population health management
- We offer specialized credentialing and compliance services for FQHCs
What people say
Accessible care
Community focus
Dedicated staff
Comprehensive services
Affordable options
Services
Practice Transformation
Our Practice Transformation program guides health centers through evidence-based changes that enhance care quality and operational efficiency. We implement patient-centered medical home models recognized by The Joint Commission and NCQA, achieving 70% higher adoption rates than national averages. Our team provides coaching on health IT integration, care coordination, and population health management to reduce costs while improving patient outcomes.
Credentialing Services
APHCA's Credentialing Services ensure compliance with federal standards through primary source verification and ongoing sanctions monitoring. We manage initial credentialing and recredentialing processes for 500+ providers across Alabama's health centers. Our eApply and eStatus portals streamline applications and tracking while maintaining 100% compliance with accreditation requirements for federally qualified health centers.
Health Information Technology
We help health centers maximize electronic health record systems and health information exchange capabilities. Our team supports implementation of population health management tools that improve data accuracy and care coordination. With 84% higher health IT adoption rates than other states, we enable real-time analytics for clinical decision-making and regulatory reporting across 166 community health locations.
Quality Improvement
Our Quality Improvement initiatives focus on achieving the quadruple aim through data feedback and benchmarking. We provide practice facilitation, PDCA cycle implementation, and adverse event analysis to enhance clinical outcomes. APHCA's network demonstrates 9th highest national performance among health centers through systematic quality programs aligned with federal accreditation standards.
Workforce Development
The Recruiting Referral Program connects health centers with experienced recruiters specializing in rural healthcare placements. We offer workforce training programs addressing provider shortages in underserved areas, including specialized training for emergency medicine nurses and clinical informatics professionals across Alabama's 80% county coverage network.
People
Mary Hayes Finch
President and CEO
Mary Hayes Finch leads APHCA as President and CEO with 15+ years of healthcare leadership experience. A former Deputy Attorney General and Medicaid Chief of Staff, she holds degrees from Troy University, Auburn University, and Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. She drives network development and strategic initiatives for Alabama's 166 health centers.
Sharon Parker
VP, Population Health Management
Sharon Parker serves as Chief Quality Officer with 30+ years of nursing experience. A Harvard-trained healthcare IT specialist, she manages APHCA's value-based care programs and Health Center Control Network. She completed executive education at Yale School of Management and holds multiple certifications in healthcare quality and informatics.
Dodey Roughton
Health Care Transformation Senior Director
Dodey Roughton leads clinical transformation with 22 years of emergency nursing experience. A Certified Emergency Nurse with a Master's in Nursing Administration, she facilitates medical home recognition and EMR implementation. She coordinates quality improvement activities across APHCA's network of 166 health centers.
Amber King
Data Strategy Director
Amber King directs APHCA's data strategy with 20+ years of pediatric nursing and informatics experience. She develops comprehensive data analytics solutions to improve care quality across Alabama. A former clinical informatics analyst, she specializes in workflow standardization and quality improvement initiatives for community health centers.
Loletha Beckham
Clinical Informatics Analyst
Loletha Beckham serves as Clinical Informatics Analyst with 25+ years of healthcare experience. A Licensed Practical Nurse and workflow redesign specialist, she supports EHR implementations and quality improvement. Currently completing her bachelor's degree in health informatics at Mercer University, she provides technical expertise to APHCA's health IT initiatives.
Questions
What areas does APHCA serve?
APHCA serves 80% of Alabama counties through its network of 166 health centers.
How many patients does APHCA serve annually?
Our network serves over 350,000 medically underserved patients annually across Alabama.
What services do APHCA health centers provide?
Our centers offer medical, dental, behavioral health, vision, and enabling services under one roof.
How does APHCA support health centers?
We provide credentialing, compliance, health IT, workforce development, and quality improvement services.
What insurance plans are accepted?
Our centers accept Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and offer sliding fee scales for uninsured patients.
How to find a health center?
Use our online 'Find a Health Center' tool to locate HRSA-funded centers near you.
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