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About CHAD

Who We Are

The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) is a non-profit membership organization that serves as the primary care association for North Dakota and South Dakota. As CHAD, we believe that everyone has a right to high-quality, reliable, affordable health care, regardless of where they live. We work with health centers, community leaders, and partners to increase access to and improve health care services in areas of the Dakotas that need it most.

For more than 35 years, CHAD has advanced the efforts of health centers through training, technical assistance, education, and advocacy. Currently, CHAD supports nine health center organizations across North Dakota and South Dakota by providing a variety of resources to enhance key areas of operations, including clinical, human resources, finance, outreach and enabling, marketing, and advocacy.

Our Mission

Foster healthy communities by promoting and supporting programs that increase access to affordable, high-quality care for all.

Our Vision 

Access to a high-quality system of care for all Dakotans.

Our Commitment 

We acknowledge that unfair policies and practices have led to health inequities across race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, geography, and other identities. Health centers are rooted in the civil rights movement, and we aspire to build on this legacy by working collaboratively with others to see equitable health outcomes in our communities. We bring with us a commitment to continued learning and growth, as well as a recognition of the need for urgent action.

Who We Are

Community health centers and South Dakota Urban Indian Health provide comprehensive, integrated primary, dental, and behavioral health care to more than 158,500 individuals at 65 sites in 52 communities across North Dakota and South Dakota. CHAD works with health centers and other health care partners to enhance access to care and expand service offerings to foster healthy families and healthy communities.

Who We Serve

CHAD supports the work and mission of health center organizations across the Dakotas. Health centers, sometimes known as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) or community health centers, are dedicated to providing quality health care to all patients, especially those in rural, low-income, and underserved populations.

Staff, Board & Partners

Our Team

Shelly Ten Napel

Shelly Ten Napel
Chief Executive Officer
Joined CHAD in March 2016
ShellyTenNapel@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Shannon Bacon
Director of Equity & External Affairs
Joined CHAD in January 2021
shannon@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Deb Esche
Director of Finance & Operations
Joined CHAD in May 2019
deb@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Shelly Hegerle
Director of People & Culture
Joined CHAD in December 2005
shelly@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Lindsey Karlson
Director of Programs & Training
Joined CHAD in March 2021
lindsey@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Becky Wahl
Director of Innovation & Health Informatics
Joined CHAD in October 2017
becky@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Jill Kesler

Jill Kesler
Senior Program Manager
Joined CHAD in June 2013
jill@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Melissa Craig
Operations Manager
Joined CHAD in July 2000
melissa@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Billie Jo Nelson
Population Health Data Manager
Joined CHAD in January 2024
bnelson@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Brandon Huether

Brandon Huether
Marketing & Communications Manager
Joined CHAD in October 2023
bhuether@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Penny Kelley
Outreach & Enrollment Services Program Manager
Joined CHAD in September 2021
penny@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Jennifer Saueressig, RN
Clinical Quality Manager
Joined CHAD in December 2021
jennifer@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Kim Kuhlmann
ND Policy & Partnerships Manager
Joined CHAD in November 2023
kkuhlmann@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Elizabeth Schenkel
SD Policy & Partnerships Manager
Joined CHAD in October 2023
eschenkel@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Heather Tienter-Mussachia

Heather Tienter-Mussachia
Data Analytics Program Manager
Joined CHAD in July 2023
htientermusacchia@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Brittany Zephier
Navigator Program Manager
Joined CHAD in October 2024
bzephier@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Katy Koelling, SHRM-CP
HR & Program Specialist
Joined CHAD in August 2023
kkoelling@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Darci Bultje
Training & Education Specialist
Joined CHAD in March 2022
darci@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Samantha Marts
Administrative & Program Coordinator
Joined CHAD in May 2024
smarts@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Kaitlyn Van Peursem
Digital Communications & Design Specialist
Joined CHAD in October 2024
kvanpeursem@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Alyssa McDowell
Marketing & Event Strategist
Joined CHAD in October 2024
amcdowell@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Emily Haberling
Outreach & Enrollment Navigator
Joined CHAD in February 2024
ehaberling@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Alex Helvin
Outreach & Enrollment Navigator
Joined CHAD in May 2024
ahelvin@communityhealthcare.net
Bio

Tim Trithart, CEO
Complete Health
President/Finance Committee
https://www.completehealthsd.care

Rhonda Eastlund, CEO
Community Health Service, Inc.
Finance Committee
www.chsiclinics.org

Amy Richardson, Chief of Health Administration and Performance Management
Falls Community Health
Board Member
www.siouxfalls.org/FCH

Margaret Asheim, CEO
Family HealthCare
Secretary
www.famhealthcare.org

Wade Erickson, CEO
Horizon Health
Treasurer/Finance Committee
www.horizonhealthcare.org

Nadine Boe, CEO
Northland Health Centers
Vice President
www.northlandchc.org

Tami Hogie-Horenzen, Interim CEO
South Dakota Urban Indian Health
Board Member
https://sduih.org/

Mara Jiran, CEO
Spectra Health
President/Finance Committee
http://www.spectrahealth.org/

Kurt Waldbillig, CEO
Coal Country Community Health Center
Board Member
www.coalcountryhealth.com

Scott Weatherill, CIO
Horizon Health
GPHDN Committee Chair
https://horizonhealthcare.org/

Jackie Yotter, VP of Primary Care Services
Oyate Health Center
Board Member
http://www.oyatehealth.com/

CHAD builds strong partnerships with national, state, and local stakeholders to advance the work and mission of community health centers across the Dakotas and impact the health of families, communities, and populations across both states. Collaboration, teamwork, and shared goals are central to our partnerships and affiliations, supporting our efforts to increase health care access and improve health outcomes among diverse populations.

Learn more about our partners and how we are impacting health outcomes together.

North Dakota Oral Health CoalitionGreat Plains Health Data Network

Member Benefits

Become A Member

Become a member of the CHAD network and join us in our mission of fostering healthy communities and ensuring access to quality, affordable health care for all Dakotans.

Full membership to the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas is available to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and FQHC look-alikes serving North Dakota and South Dakota. The CHAD board of directors must approve full member applications.

Benefits of Full Membership

  • Representation on the CHAD board of directors
  • Discounted registration fees for CHAD workshops and trainings
  • Access to CHAD peer networking groups
  • Coordinated grassroots advocacy
  • Legislative tracking and policy review
  • Access to “members only” information and resources on the CHAD website
  • Technical assistance in areas of finance, human resources, clinical informatics, clinical quality, data, communications and marketing, policy and advocacy, dental services, emergency preparedness, behavioral and mental health services, and special populations
  • Access to UDS data analysis for individual health centers, as well as state and bi-state aggregates
  • Workforce recruitment and retention assistance
  • Health center management and policy assistance
  • Board training and development
  • Assistance with new access point (NAP) and other grant applications
  • Community development and planning grant assistance
  • Community education and outreach to improve access to medical, dental, and behavioral health services
  • Group purchasing programs 
  • Access to CHAD fee-for-service products and services
  • Promotional opportunities in CHAD publications and communication tools
  • Representation on statewide boards, committees, and task groups
  • Liaison to Primary Care Offices (PCO)
  • Subscription to CHAD newsletters and communications
  • Representation on CHAD training and technical assistance steering committee

For more information about becoming a CHAD member or for an application to
apply for full or associate membership, please contact:

Lindsey Karlson
Director of Programs and Training
605-309-0873
lindsey@communityhealthcare.net

Associate membership to the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas is available to rural health clinics, public health units, and health care partners with a mission and goals common to those of CHAD and its membership organizations.

Benefits of Associate Membership

  • Policy and advocacy for initiatives that align with CHAD and member  health centers 
  • Discounted registration fees for CHAD workshops and trainings
  • Access to selected CHAD peer networking groups
  • Access to selected “members only” information and resources on the CHAD website
  • Guidance with federally qualified health center (FQHC) planning grant applications and key program requirements
  • Workforce recruitment and retention assistance
  • Group purchasing programs – benefits/savings
  • Promotional opportunities in CHAD publications and communication tools
  • Representation on statewide boards, committees and task groups for initiatives that align with CHAD and member organizations
  • Subscription to CHAD newsletters and communications

For more information about becoming a CHAD member or for an application to
apply for full or associate membership, please contact:

Lindsey Karlson
Director of Programs and Training
605-309-0873
lindsey@communityhealthcare.net

Member Directory

Meet Our Members

North Dakota
Organization Profile   CEO/Executive Director
Coal Country Community Health Center   Kurt Waldbillig
Community Health Service Inc.   Rhonda Eastlund
Family HealthCare   Margaret Asheim
Northland Health Centers   Nadine Boe
Spectra Health   Mira Jiran
South Dakota
Organization Profile   CEO/Executive Director
Complete Health   Tim Trithart
Falls Community Health   Joe Kippley
Horizon Health   Wade Erickson
South Dakota Urban Indian Health   Tami Hogie-Lorenzen (Interim)
Oyate Health Center   Jerilyn Church

The Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD) is a non-profit membership organization that serves as the primary care association for North Dakota and South Dakota. CHAD supports health center organizations in their mission to provide access to health care for all Dakotans regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. CHAD works with health centers, community leaders, and partners to enhance access to affordable, high-quality health care and find solutions for expanding health care services in the areas of the Dakotas that need it most. For more than 35 years, CHAD has advanced the efforts of health centers in North Dakota and South Dakota through training, technical assistance, education, and advocacy. Currently, CHAD provides a variety of resources to enhance key areas of operations, including clinical quality, human resources, finance, outreach and enabling services, marketing, and policy.

North Dakota
Organization Profile Contact
North Dakota Primary Care Office Stacy Kusler
North Dakota American Cancer Society Jill Ireland
South Dakota
Organization Profile CEO/Executive Director
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network  Ryan Sailor