The Detection and Management of High Blood Pressure (In-Person)
2026-02-27 08:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Maine Medical Association, 30 Association Drive, Manchester, Maine
Quick Links:
Registration
Join Maine Primary Care Association and MCD Global Health for a day-long no-cost training that takes a comprehensive approach to addressing high blood pressure from measurement, to diagnosis, to treatment and control. Jodi Beck, RN and Senior Program Manager at MCD Global will lead this training and review the types of high blood pressure, common errors, equipment, blood pressure measurement techniques, self-measured blood pressure monitoring, and more!
Participants will come away knowing they are performing blood pressure measurements accurately and following current guidelines. This training will provide the history of how high blood pressure was identified and how it has evolved to now include a set of standard guidelines and treatment recommendations. There will be review of the cardiovascular system and the impact high blood pressure has on the body. Participants will be taught proper measurement techniques for taking an accurate blood pressure and have hands on practice to assure competency.
Advanced registration is required and this event is in-person only. Class size will be limited to 25 participants. CUEs are available for CHWs and nurses through APHA. Snow/rain date: March 20.
Target Audience: Health center staff who take blood pressure measurements manually and automatically including community health workers, nurses, medical and dental assistants, doctors and physician assistants.
For more information, contact Carrie Mead: cmead@mepca.org or (207) 707-4537.

Staying Legally Compliant as a Leader, Manager or Supervisor at Your Health Center
2026-03-06 09:00 - 11:30
Quick Links:
Registration
Do you know and understand the myriad federal, state, and local laws surrounding employment issues? If not, you may unknowingly put your organization at risk simply by making comments, asking questions, or taking actions that may initially seem harmless. This session will be led by employment attorney Katy Rand from Pierce Atwood LLP and Lisa Mouscher from Sogence Training and Consulting as we discuss relevant legislation, real-world scenarios and participant questions around specific dos and don’ts for managing employees and handling common scenarios both legally and effectively. Issues covered include FMLA, ADA, discrimination and harassment, hostile work environment, employee rights, wage and hour compliance, Maine-specific legislation, and more!
Participants will learn to:

Develop essential knowledge of the key federal and state employment laws and regulations every manager and supervisor should know.
Distinguish between issues supervisors and managers can handle independently and those requiring escalation to or collaboration with HR to ensure legal compliance.
Understand the ways in which the actions and inactions of managers and supervisors create or mitigate legal risk for the employer.
Respond or not respond to common workplace scenarios, in order to minimize legal risk.

Target Audience: This training is recommended for all CHC leaders, managers and supervisors.
Important Note: There is limited capacity for this training: 50 participants max. Once 50 people have registered, Zoom will not allow additional registrants.
For more information, contact Emily Ferry: eferry@mepca.org or (207) 707-4548.

MPCA 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
2026-03-18 07:15 - 10:00 | Governor Hill Mansion, 136 State St., Augusta, Maine, 04330
Quick Links:
Registration
You’re Invited: MPCA’s 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
Join us for an important conversation shaping the future of health care in Maine! MPCA’s Gubernatorial Candidate Forum will offer a unique opportunity to hear directly from gubernatorial candidates on strengthening Maine’s health care system, including access to primary care, community health centers, workforce challenges, and affordability.
The forum will be moderated and open to health center staff board members, CHC Ambassadors, community leaders, healthcare advocates, business leaders, and other interested parties.
Confirmed candidates include:
Shenna Bellows (D), Richard Bennett (I), Jonathan Bush (R), Kenneth Capron (R), Jason Cherry (D), W. Edward Crockett (I), David Foster (R), John Glowa (I), Troy Jackson (D), Derek Levasseur (I), Hannah Pingree (D), Nirav Shah (D)
Don’t miss this chance to engage with the leaders who will shape the future of health care in Maine. Register today!
Agenda:

7:15 – 8:00 am – Networking and hot buffet breakfast
8:00 – 10:00 am – Moderated gubernatorial candidate panel discussion

This event is complimentary for all MPCA member Health Center staff and their board members. The cost for non-members is $25.00.
For more information, contact Bryan Wyatt at bwyatt@mepca.org or (207) 707-4536.
Area hotels:
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is off Interstate 95, Exit 112 (if coming from the north) or 112B (if coming from the south) – turn right onto Rt. 27, then left onto Anthony Avenue (at the light across from the 99 Restaurant.)
Homewood Suites by Hilton is off Interstate 95 Exit 109B, across from Harbor Freight.
Senator Inn & Spa is off Interstate 95, Exit 109A, immediately to the right.

Sponsors:

Intimate Partner Violence Safe Tables and Webinar Series
2026-03-18 12:00 - 13:00
Sexual Assault – Webinar
March 18, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00pm | Register
Interpersonal violence is an epidemic in our culture with significant short and long-term health implications. We will embark on a year-long webinar series to understand these topics.
The IPV Safe Table will provide a brief, introductory overview of the incidence of various forms of IPV, the role of providers in treatment and intervention, and community resources especially Forensic Nurses, who are available throughout the state.
An SBIRT approach with particular attention to patient safety and documentation will be used.

PRAPARE® 201: Moving Beyond the Basics to Strengthen Screening, Workflows, and Referral Impact
2026-03-31 12:00 - 13:00
Quick Links:
Registration
This interactive session provides practical guidance for implementing effective screening processes to identify and respond to patients’ non-clinical factors of health. Participants will explore evidence-based strategies for conducting empathic conversations and for connecting patients to appropriate internal and external supports, while also supporting care team members in the screening process. The session will highlight best practices for integrating referral programs into existing or new internal initiatives, as well as approaches to building more standardized, sustainable workflows. Finally, participants will examine how policy and funding changes may drive increased demand for non-clinical factors of health screening and referrals, often before resources are fully in place, and identify actions health centers can take now to prepare.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Use patient-centered screening practices to identify non-clinical factors of health and support meaningful, respectful conversations.
Strengthen screening and referral workflows that connect patients to internal programs and community resources in practical, sustainable ways.
Prepare for growing demand for screening and referrals by understanding how policy and funding changes may affect needs and capacity

Target audience: Community Health Workers and other health center staff for whom PRAPARE is relevant to their role.
For more information, contact Leslie Lorentzen: llorentzen@mepca.org.

Making Customer Service a Reality at Your Health Center
2026-04-06 13:00 - 15:30
Quick Links:
Registration (This webinar is for MPCA members only)
The quality of customer service in community healthcare significantly influences the health of patients and the health center itself, yet in today’s fast-paced and challenging landscape, health centers may find it difficult to create and maintain a culture of service excellence. This session – focused specifically for CHC leaders, managers and supervisors – provides important skills, strategies and guidance to make customer service a realistic expectation both now and for the long term.
Participants will learn to:

Understand and communicate the crucial nature of customer service in all areas of community healthcare.
Lead, foster and drive a culture of service excellence in your department or organization.
Create and implement clear, realistic and impactful expectations.
Utilize a practical, step-by-step change management model to facilitate smooth and successful culture change.
Ensure customer service skill-building, reinforcement and accountability for all team members to make both internal and external customer service the priority it needs to be!

Target Audience: CHC leaders, managers and supervisors.
Important Note: There is limited capacity for this training: 50 participants max. Once 50 people have registered, Zoom will not allow additional registrants.
For more information, contact Emily Ferry: eferry@mepca.org or (207) 707-4548.

Connector's Toolkit: Building & Using Referral Pathways
2026-04-24 10:00 - 11:00
Quick Links:
Registration
Join us for this timely and informative training as we explore the essentials of making warm referrals to community services, including tracking follow-through and strengthening partner relationships. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of:

Creating and maintaining resource lists;
Warm handoffs and documentation;
Common barriers to referrals and follow-up; and
The CHW role in partnership-building.

Speakers:

Lane Simsarian, Programming and Partnerships Coordinator, Maine Office of Population Health
Nikki Williams, Program Director, 211 Maine
Ray Rawls, Community Health Worker, Sacopee Valley Health Center

Target audience: CHWs, CHW supervisors, patient navigators, and other frontline staff involved in making and tracking referrals to community services.
For more information, contact Leslie Lorentzen: llorentzen@mepca.org.

Customer Service: The Art of Caring
2026-04-28 09:00 - 11:30
Quick Links:
Registration (This webinar is for MPCA members only)
Providing a high level of customer service is crucial to achieving your health center’s mission and effectively serving your community, and service excellence is both a mindset and a skill that can be learned! In this high-impact and interactive training focused for health center employees at all levels, participants gain practical and immediately applicable skills, tools and strategies to make customer service a realistic part of every interaction.
Participants will learn to:

Understand the crucial nature of customer service in all areas of community healthcare.
Maintain a mindset of “service-first.”
Achieve successful outcomes in a wide range of potentially challenging interactions.
Communicate clearly with care, tact and compassion.
Take initiative to enhance a positive work environment.
Strengthen satisfaction for patients, families and co-workers!

Target Audience: This training is recommended for health center employees at all levels.
Important Note: There is limited capacity for this training: 50 participants max. Once 50 people have registered, Zoom will not allow additional registrants.
For more information, contact Emily Ferry: eferry@mepca.org or (207) 707-4548.

Intimate Partner Violence Safe Tables and Webinar Series
2026-06-17 12:00 - 13:00
MePCA PSO Safe Table: Intimate Partner Violence Series Wrap-up
June 17, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00pm | Register
Interpersonal violence is an epidemic in our culture with significant short and long-term health implications. We will embark on a year-long webinar series to understand these topics.
The IPV Safe Table will provide a brief, introductory overview of the incidence of various forms of IPV, the role of providers in treatment and intervention, and community resources especially Forensic Nurses, who are available throughout the state.
An SBIRT approach with particular attention to patient safety and documentation will be used.

National Health Center Week
2026-08-02 - 2026-08-08
Every August, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) sponsors National Health Center Week (NHCW) to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s 1,512 Community Health Centers (CHCs). NHCW is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of CHC patients, staff, board members, and supporters who make it possible to provide quality, comprehensive healthcare services to 52 million patients across more than 17,000 communities.
NHCW 2026 Theme: Building Innovative Care Where It Matters Most
This year’s theme celebrates how CHCs use creativity and commitment to advance innovative solutions that meet patients where they are and improve primary care delivery, access, and outcomes nationwide. This includes partnering with key stakeholders and elected officials to strengthen relationships that support high-quality, patient-centered care in the communities they serve.
Each day of National Health Center Week is dedicated to a particular focus area

Sunday, August 2: Theme DayWe kick off National Health Center Week with a look at the incredible innovation CHCs provide to their communities. From serving a handful of communities to now reaching 1 in 7 Americans, CHCs have become a cornerstone of community health.
Monday, August 3: Staff Appreciation DayCHCs thrive because of their dedicated clinical and non-clinical staff. This day honors all employees and their vital contributions to patient care and organizational success. Let’s emphasize the importance of valuing everyone on the team.
Tuesday, August 4: Patient Appreciation DayPatients are at the heart of CHCs, and this day recognizes their role in shaping care delivery. We celebrate patient boards—a revolutionary model of governance where patients make up 51% or more of board members—and their contributions to the health center movement.
Wednesday, August 5: Health Conditions FocusCHCs play a critical role in addressing acute and chronic conditions through prevention, early detection, and treatment. This day highlights efforts like vaccinations, cancer screenings, heart health, diabetes care, and managing chronic infectious diseases.
Thursday, August 6: Populations DayCHCs serve patients of all race and ethnicities, in rural, urban, suburban, island and frontier communities. This includes maternal and child health, adults, elders/ older adults, veterans, agricultural workers, and those experiencing homelessness, to name a few. This day celebrates CHCs’ commitment to understanding the unique needs of their patients and communities, and providing quality, accessible care.
Friday, August 7: Partner Appreciation DayCHCs succeed through collaboration with public, non-profit and industry partners. From hospitals to schools, businesses to government leaders, food banks to public housing, these partnerships drive innovation and advance health.
Saturday, August 8: Gratitude and Future VisionWe close the week with a focus on gratitude for all who contribute to the CHC mission and a vision for the future. Together, we aim to serve 1 in 3 Americans, ensuring health for all.

National Health Center Week Events in Maine
During this year’s weeklong celebration, health centers throughout Maine will be holding special events in recognition of patients, staff, programs and community partners. Bookmark this page and check back as we will be listing health center events here as we move closer to National Health Center Week.
