Community Health Centers. Unfiltered.

S2 E11: Inside Medicaid: What Health Plans and CHCs Need from Each Other Right Now

Medicaid is one of the nation's most important—and most misunderstood—health care programs. It covers nearly half of all births in the United States, finances more than half of nursing home care, and serves millions of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and working families.
But with sweeping federal policy changes on the horizon, Medicaid is entering a period of significant change.
In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, ACH CEO Amanda Pears Kelly sits down with Craig Kennedy, President and CEO of Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA), for a candid conversation about what lies ahead for Medicaid, managed care organizations, and community health centers.
Together, they explore the real-world implications of Medicaid work requirements, eligibility redeterminations, and long-term funding reductions, and what these changes could mean for patients, providers, and communities nationwide.
Craig explains why Medicaid's complexity matters, dispels common misconceptions about who relies on the program, and discusses how stronger collaboration between health plans and community health centers will be essential to maintaining access to care during a time of unprecedented policy change.
Whether you're a health center leader, policymaker, managed care executive, or simply interested in the future of Medicaid, this episode offers practical insights into the challenges ahead, and the partnerships needed to navigate them.

S2 E10: Are Community Health Centers Built for What Comes Next?

What happens when one of the nation's leading advocates for community health centers sits down with one of Washington's most prominent libertarian health policy experts?
In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, Amanda Pears Kelly welcomes Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute—a think tank known for its emphasis on limited government, free markets, and individual choice—for a thoughtful conversation about the future of community health centers.
Together, they explore the role of federal funding, workforce shortages, Medicaid reform, 340B, and the policies shaping the nation's primary care safety net. Along the way, they tackle a bigger question: Can community health centers continue to thrive under the current model, or is it time to rethink the incentives and structures that support them?
Whether you agree with every viewpoint or not, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing community health centers, and why understanding different approaches to health policy has never been more important.

S2 E9: Carrying It Forward: A 50-Year Legacy of Community Health and Leadership

In this episode, Amanda Pears Kelly sits down with John Jenkins, CEO of LifeLong Medical Care, as the organization celebrates 50 years of serving communities across California. The conversation explores legacy, leadership, and the future of community health centers through a deeply personal lens, as John reflects on the impact of his father, Dr. William Jenkins, and what it means to now lead in the same communities his family helped shape.
Together, they discuss what has changed—and what hasn’t—in community health over the past five decades, the urgent challenges facing health centers today, and what it will take to sustain this mission-driven work for generations to come.

S2 E8: Why Disability Policy is Primary Care Policy

In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, ACH CEO Amanda Pears Kelly sits down with national disability policy expert and former White House advisor Rachel Patterson to explore why disability policy is primary care policy. From inaccessible equipment and Medicaid policy barriers to long-term care and patient-led governance, the conversation unpacks how public policy shapes real-world healthcare access — and why community health centers are central to building a more inclusive system.

S2 E7: Behind the Budget: How Policy Shapes Community Health Centers Today

In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, host Amanda Pears Kelly takes listeners behind the budget—where critical decisions about federal funding, Medicaid, and state spending priorities determine how community health centers (CHCs) operate every day. Joined by health policy expert Jessica Schubel, the conversation puts a clear lens on how budget policy—not just legislation—drives real-world outcomes for providers and patients.
Drawing on her experience at the White House, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and CMS, Schubel breaks down the most consequential budget shifts affecting CHCs right now—from federal appropriations battles to Medicaid financing changes and state-level budget decisions.
The episode also dives into how state budgets can either reinforce or undermine federal investments, the policy risks emerging in upcoming budget cycles, and the growing financial pressures tied to caring for an aging population. Schubel highlights the importance of data-driven advocacy, offering insight into how CHCs can use outcomes and evidence to strengthen their position in budget negotiations and policy debates.
At its core, this episode underscores a simple truth: budgets are policy in action. And for community health centers, what happens behind the budget directly determines what’s possible at the front lines of care.

S2 E6: 60 Years of the Health Center Movement: What the Past Teaches Us About the Future

In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, host Amanda Pears Kelly marks the 60th anniversary of the Community Health Center Program by exploring the history, purpose, and enduring impact of America’s most vital safety-net programs.
Joined by Dr. Thomas Ward, author of Out in the Rural: A Mississippi Health Center and Its War on Poverty, the conversation looks beyond the idea of health centers as simply clinics and revisits their roots in the Civil Rights Movement and the War on Poverty. Together, they discuss how early health centers were built around community empowerment, local governance, and addressing the social and economic conditions that shape health.
The episode also examines why the health center model has endured through six decades of political and economic change, maintaining bipartisan support while continuing to serve underserved communities nationwide. Dr. Ward shares lessons from history that remain deeply relevant today as policymakers debate the future of funding, workforce shortages, and access to care.
This episode is a timely reminder that community health centers are more than health care providers—they are trusted community institutions woven into the social fabric of America.
 
 
 

S2 E5: What’s Next for Value-Based Care: New CMS Models & Technology-Enabled Care

This episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered explores the future of value-based care and what it means for community health centers as federal policy continues to evolve. The conversation focuses on new initiatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), including the ACCESS and LEAD models, which aim to shift the health system away from volume-based care toward outcomes-driven, coordinated, and technology-enabled care.
Featuring Emily Brower, CEO of the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS), the episode breaks down how these new models are designed to expand accountable care and improve prevention and chronic disease management while also examining whether they truly reflect the realities of the safety net. The discussion highlights key challenges facing community health centers, including limited infrastructure, complex patient populations, attribution issues, and disparities in access to technology.
Ultimately, the episode underscores that while value-based care is accelerating, its success will depend on whether policymakers meaningfully include and support community health centers. Without intentional design and investment, these models risk leaving behind the very providers who serve the nation’s most vulnerable populations.
Show Notes
ACCESS: https://www.naacos.com/access-the-power-will-be-in-partnerships/
LEAD: LEAD (Long-term Enhanced ACO Design) Model | CMS
In the News: Will The New CMS ACO Model LEAD To Better Care For High-Need Medicare Beneficiaries? | Health Affairs
AHEAD: AHEAD (Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design) Model | CMS and Geo AHEAD Factsheet
NAACOS: Learn more about the NAACOS Spring Conference in April 2026 agenda and register to join.

S2 E4: Inside the Deal Room: What Federal Policy Really Means for CHCs

In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, Advocates for Community Health goes beyond the headlines to explore how federal health policy is actually made — and what that process means for the stability and sustainability of community health centers (CHCs).
Co-Host Margaret French of Venn Strategies is joined by Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock of McDermott+, both former senior Capitol Hill staff with decades of experience shaping Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA policy.
The conversation unpacks how power moves in Washington and why CHCs must understand not just what policy says, but how it gets negotiated.

S2 E3: Health, Heritage, and Advocacy: Building Stronger Tribal and Community Health Care

In this episode of Community Health Centers Unfiltered, hosted by ACH CEO Amanda Pears Kelly, we sit down with A.C. Locklear, CEO of the National Indian Health Board, to discuss the urgent challenges facing American Indian and Alaska Native Nations and communities.
A.C. highlights the chronic underfunding of the Tribal health system, barriers to access to care, and the critical workforce shortages affecting both Tribal and community health centers. We explore how these challenges influence policy, leadership, and the day-to-day work of providing care, and how partnerships between Tribal health organizations and community health centers can help address these gaps.
This episode offers an unfiltered look at the real-world hurdles Tribal health leaders face, and the innovative approaches they’re taking to keep communities healthy and resilient.

S2 E2: Strengthening Access — How CHCs Are Transforming Health Care for Veterans

Many veterans receive care outside the VA, and community health centers play a critical role in filling those gaps—especially in rural and underserved communities. This episode explores how CHCs are expanding access for veterans who face barriers to traditional VA services and why they are essential partners in the broader veteran care ecosystem.
 
The conversation between ACH CEO Amanda Pears Kelly and ECRI’s Shannon Kooker, MSN, RN highlights how evidence-based research from ECRI supports safer, more standardized outpatient care for veterans, while partnerships, interoperable data, and trauma-informed approaches help rebuild trust and improve outcomes for those transitioning to civilian life.