This four-part education series, hosted by North Dakota Rural Health Clinic Network (ND Flex) and the Oregon Office of Rural Health, empowers Rural Health Clinic (RHC) staff to develop and implement a successful Chronic Care Management (CCM) program. Learn how to qualify and enroll patients, deliver high-quality CCM services, and master compliant documentation and billing practices to increase revenue and improve patient outcomes.

By completing this series, you will gain practical knowledge and confidence to deliver coordinated, comprehensive care, ultimately improving the health of your patients and the financial health of your practice.

Register for each session below:

Session Two - Design for Success: How to Construct a Compliant and Sustainable CCM Program

Dec 9 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PT or 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT | Register here

Once you understand the building blocks, the next step is constructing a program that works in the real world. This session covers how to develop workflows, engage staff, enroll patients, and ensure compliance with CMS documentation and billing requirements. We’ll share sample tools, policies, and processes to help you design a program that fits seamlessly into your clinic operations and sets you up for long-term success.

Session Three - Making It Work: Proven Strategies to Implement and Operationalize CCM in Your RHC 

Feb 18| 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PT or 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT | Register here

 

Even the best-designed program won’t succeed without careful implementation. This session provides practical strategies to launch and operationalize your CCM program, including training staff, integrating CCM into daily workflows, and engaging patients effectively. We’ll also tackle common barriers such as time management, staffing constraints, and patient resistance — and show you proven solutions RHCs have used to overcome them.

 

Session Four - Measure What Matters: Proving Value and Scaling Your CCM Program for Growth

May 5| 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PT or 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT | Register here

 

After implementation comes the critical step of measuring impact. This session will show you how to evaluate your CCM program’s success through both financial ROI and patient outcomes. Learn how to use dashboards and scorecards, make data-driven improvements, and communicate value to stakeholders. We’ll also explore opportunities to expand into related services, such as Transitional Care Management (TCM), Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), and Behavioral Health Integration (BHI), which will help your RHC scale its impact and sustainability.

Presenter:
 Nicole Thorell, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Nicole Thorell has spent more than a decade working in rural health care, a place where her heart truly lies. As a Family Nurse Practitioner with a background in nursing administration, she’s worn many hats - serving as a Chief Nursing Officer, Director of Risk and Quality, and provider in both a Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Clinic in Nebraska.

What’s mattered most to Nicole throughout her career is making a difference in the lives of patients and the teams who care for them. She’s led efforts to reduce hospital readmissions, strengthen patient safety, and create positive, supportive work environments. Along the way, she’s leaned on her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training to approach challenges with curiosity, problem-solving, and a drive for continuous improvement.

Today, Nicole works as a consultant, partnering with hospitals and clinics to help them run more smoothly and deliver the best possible care to their communities. Her focus is on making everyday operations easier for providers and staff, so that rural patients can receive high-quality healthcare close to home.

If you have any questions, contact Rondyann | Gerst@ohsu.edu | 503.312.3907.