New 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will have a new number beginning July 16. While help will still be available through the current ten-digit Lifeline, access to support through a new three-digit phone number, 988, will make it even easier to get support.

What Does the Lifeline Do?

For every one person who dies from suicide, 316 others seriously consider suicide but do not kill themselves (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)). In many cases, simply talking with a friend, family member, or counselor can mean the difference between life and death.

That’s where the Lifeline comes in. Anyone can call, text or chat with a trained counselor through the Lifeline – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline is connected to over 200 accredited crisis call centers located throughout the country. When someone calls 988, their call is routed to a location near them. Being connected with someone local helps with finding resources for follow-up treatment and support. However, being part of a nationwide program ensures no call goes unanswered when local counselors are not available.

Why the Change?

The new number is easy to remember, quick to dial, and with a universal code like 911, is an an equally accessible option for life-saving care. As an alternative to calling 911 for mental health services, calls to the 988 Lifeline are expected to increase. Lifeline program administrator, Vibrant Emotional Heath, puts it simply, “When you’ve got a police, fire, or rescue emergency, you call 911. When you have an urgent mental health need, you call 988.”    

How Can You Help?

Over 20 million calls have been made to the Lifeline since it became available in 2005. Although some initial support for 988 has come from federal, state and local resources, more help is needed to staff, fund, and raise awareness of the service.

With the anticipated increase in calls, SAMHSA is actively recruiting volunteers, interns, and employees to serve as crisis counselors and managers for the Lifeline. Check out the Lifeline website for more ways you can support your local crisis call center.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call, text or chat the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255 or 988

For non-urgent needs, consider scheduling an appointment with a NOAH counselor.

Profiles in Leadership

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Meet NOAH Board Member Dr. Kim Perry

Dr. Kimberly Perry
Dr. Kim Perry, NOAH Board Secretary

Get to know Dr. Kim Perry, what she brings to the NOAH board of directors and what she hopes to accomplish while serving in this capacity.

Q. When did you join the NOAH Board of Directors?

A. I joined the NOAH Board of Directors in 2021. When I first moved to Arizona, I attended the opening of a NOAH Health Center and was very impressed with the facility and the warm welcome from the staff.

Q. Why are you interested in supporting community health?

A. Having grown up in a very underserved community in New Jersey, I’ve always had an interest in community health. Early in my career, I served as the inaugural dean for A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health. We developed a partnership with Affinia Healthcare (the FQHC) where students had the opportunity to provide dental services to medically underserved patients in a 92-chair dental clinic. It was in this experience that I realized how many people benefit from Community Health. I was inspired to continue this work as a board member for a Community Health Center that supports oral health care.

Q. What specifically about NOAH motivated you to want to get involved at this level with the organization?

A. I find NOAH to be a very warm and welcoming organization and I appreciate that. I’m interested in serving a group that’s moving the dial for patients who need oral and mental healthcare in addition to overall health.

Q. What do you like about working with your fellow board members?

A. I like that people respect what you bring to the table. A lot of groups talk about diversity, but don’t actually listen to what everyone has to say. The NOAH board and leadership are diverse, representative of the population we serve, and genuinely interested in the expertise everyone provides.

Q. What do you hope to collectively accomplish during your term on the board?

I would love to see us transition out of this COVID-19 pandemic having done the very best we can in helping our patients.

I’d also like to do more advocacy work to help get through some of the financial hurdles we know impact patients and community health centers. From a broad perspective, this might be educating our community about issues to make informed decisions on public leaders or supporting efforts to address public needs in other ways.

Q. What does NOAH’s Board of Directors provide for the organization, staff, patients, and the community?

A. The board supports the executive team and other NOAH staff, while ensuring patient safety in reaching the population health goals for the communities we serve.

It is important to respect the skillset and knowledge of the NOAH team as well as understand the needs of the community so that when we make board decisions, they are informed decisions.

I feel it’s also our responsibility to ask questions. Organizations should want people on the board who ask those uncomfortable questions. When you get those questions answered, it gives people an opportunity to explain their thought process and puts us all on the same page that allows the board to move forward in a manner consistent with our responsibilities and the mission of NOAH.

I’m a supportive person who wants to understand the big picture and the overall details. Trusting the people who present us with that information is critical; which is why it’s so important to build real relationships with the board and leadership.

Q. What part of the community that NOAH serves matters to you the most personally?

A. I am passionate about helping vulnerable and underserved populations. Whether it’s elderly patients, those with disabilities, or people who face inequality due to race or gender; I think of the patients who don’t have the resources or insurance for healthcare. They come to NOAH for comprehensive oral and overall care and they know that NOAH is a place for them.

The NOAH Board of Directors is a diverse group of volunteers who contribute to the mission of transforming the health of our community. Patients from the communities we serve make up 51% of our board. Learn more about NOAH’s board of directors and how they drive the organization.

NEWS: NOAH Receives $4.1 Million for New Scottsdale Health Center

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NOAH is pleased to announce that they will receive $4.1 million in funding from the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (AACHC) to support the development of NOAH’s new comprehensive Cholla Health Center in south Scottsdale.

The new 30,000 sq. ft. Cholla Health Center will be located at 8705 E. McDowell Road, in Scottsdale, just off the Loop 101. This new center will consolidate three NOAH health centers in Scottsdale into one, much larger, more comprehensive facility.

The grant was provided to NOAH through Maricopa County Department of Public Health with funds allocated to AACHC. These funds are specifically designated to support programs and services to help people, families, and businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic. The projects selected for grant awards, including NOAH, will help prepare Maricopa County to meet current and future public health crises, as well as daily health care needs.

“This grant both supports a much-needed health center for this community and furthers our mission to provide healthcare services to all,” said NOAH CEO Wendy Armendariz. “NOAH has a long-standing presence in this community so growth here, especially during a great time of need, is an important step for our organization.”

The new Cholla Health Center will combine NOAH services, providers, and staff members from three existing facilities: NOAH Heuser Family Medicine, Heuser Dental Clinic, and the former Cholla Health Center in north Scottsdale. NOAH’s new location will serve 16,000 patients annually from Scottsdale, east Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa and the surrounding areas with integrated care including medical, counseling, psychiatry, dental, on-site laboratory, nutrition, and community resources all under one roof. The NOAH Cholla Health Center is set to open in late 2022. New and existing patients are welcome at this or any of the other NOAH locations in Maricopa County. NOAH accepts all patients with either private and public insurance including AHCCCS/Medicaid, patients who are uninsured or underinsured, and offers health insurance enrollment support, Sliding Fee Scale (SFS), and self-pay discounts. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 480-882-4545 or click here.

Profiles in Leadership

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Dr. Moe Bell
Dr. Marvin (Moe) Bell, NOAH Board of Directors

Meet NOAH Board Member Dr. Marvin (Moe) Bell

Get to know Dr. Bell, his inspiration for joining the NOAH board and what he hopes to accomplish as part of the group.

Q: When did you join the NOAH Board of Directors?

A: I joined the board in January 2022.

Q: Why are you interested in supporting community health?

A: I strongly believe that community health centers are the best way to improve equity and health outcomes in our community. I worked for NOAH as a physician and have seen firsthand the great benefit NOAH is providing to our community.

Q: What specifically about NOAH motivated you to want to get involved at this level with the organization?

A: I have a long history with NOAH, dating back to 1998 when I was the medical director helping with two school-based clinics. The very first Pap smear we did on an uninsured mother of three found an early-stage cervical cancer that was treatable, and truly saved her life. I have seen NOAH grow to help many more patients, and I hope to help NOAH going forward as I retire from patient care.

Q: What do you like about working with your fellow board members?

A: I am very new to the board, but I am already impressed by the strong commitment the board members have to community health and the wide range of expertise of the members.

Q: What do you hope to collectively accomplish during your term on the board?

A: I hope to help with the transition to fully independent status as NOAH becomes independent from HonorHealth. I also hope my experience both medically and in public health will be of use to NOAH’s leadership and other board members.

Q: In your own words, what does NOAH’s Board of Directors provide for the organization, staff, patients, and the community?

A: I would say oversight, accountability, expertise, and overall support of NOAH’s mission.

Q: What part of the community that NOAH serves matters to you the most personally?

A: I am especially concerned about the underserved members of our community who struggle to get good medical and behavioral health care. NOAH’s strong focus on social determinants of health is very important to me.

The NOAH Board of Directors is a diverse group of volunteers who contribute to the mission of transforming the health of our community. Patients from the communities we serve make up 51% of our board. Learn more about NOAH’s board of directors and how they drive the organization.

Desert Mission Health Center Now Open!

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Read more

NEWS: NOAH Celebrates Emerging Leader Dora Correal

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NOAH is thrilled to share that one of our own dedicated and caring team members, Dora Correal, Director of Community Equity, received the Emerging Leader Award from the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy.

This national award honors young, emerging leaders within community and farmworker health centers who have made a career in the health center family and personify the enduring strength of health centers.

Dora joined NOAH in 2015 as an Eligibility Specialist, where she quickly established herself as a subject matter expert in government assistance programs and customer service. She has led the growth of our Community Resource Department as the first Supervisor, Manager, and now Director of that department. It has been through her leadership that a four-member team providing application assistance has grown to a 30-person team helping our patients and organization with crucial functions for our mission.

“Dora inspires and motivates us to keep finding innovative ways to help and serve our patients, NOAH team members, and community,” said Julia Nierad, NOAH CFO. “Leading with compassion and empathy, she is a champion for ensuring our community obtains access to resources in an efficient, dignified, and friendly manner. We are so grateful to have her passion and dedication on our team as we continue to address community need, particularly for those severely impacted by the pandemic.”

Dora inspires and motivates us to keep finding innovative ways to help and serve our patients, NOAH team members, and community. 

Compassion, empathy, and strength are how Dora leads her team to deliver for NOAH patients every day. She sees opportunities and finds ways for the Community Resource Department to help bridge gaps for patients, the community, and for NOAH’s own team.

“The Emerging Leaders selected each year represent the future of health centers. The policy and program advocates, clinicians, health educators, and clinic administrators recognized each year truly will become the next generation of senior leaders.” – Feygele Jacobs, President, and CEO of the RCHN Community Health Foundation

Emerging leaders like Dora are celebrated for the work they do to help further the mission of healthcare and better health for medically underserved patients, communities, and special populations.

The future of NOAH and community health centers looks bright with leaders like Dora sharing their talents and passion with organizations serving the medically underserved populations. Congratulations, Dora!

Learn more about the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy Emerging Leader Award here.

Profiles in Leadership

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Meet NOAH Board Member Abe Alirez

NOAH Board
NOAH Board Member Abe Alirez

Get to know Abe, his inspiration for joining the NOAH board and what he hopes to accomplish as part of the group.

Q: When did you join the NOAH Board of Directors?

A: I was welcomed to the board on June 25 of 2021.

Q: Why are you interested in supporting community health?

A: I have worked in healthcare for most of my career and have always wanted to use my skills to give back to the communities that I live in. Working in IT (information technology) you don’t always get to see the effect the work has on the community, and I wanted to see the impact more directly so I could better understand what the community needs.

Q: What specifically about NOAH motivated you to want to get involved at this level with the organization?

A: The community outreach of such comprehensive services was one item that initially drew me to NOAH. Once I met with NOAH’s CEO Wendy Armendariz and heard about all the wonderful plans that NOAH was working toward, I was sold. Most of my mentors have been women in leadership positions and I was very pleased to know that NOAH has such a high percentage of women in these roles.

Q: What do you like about working with your fellow board members?

A: The knowledge and the ideas that everyone brings to the table. The expertise of my fellow board members is nothing short of astonishing. The open discussions and ideas that are shared has enabled me to be even more willing to explore a wider range of ideas in my own organizations.

Q: What do you hope to collectively accomplish during your term on the board?

A: I hope to be able to bring ideas that will benefit NOAH and the communities we serve. The current migration away from HonorHealth is something that I have been monitoring. I hope to provide some input on this process and support the NOAH team during this transition.

Q: In your own words, what does NOAH’s Board of Directors provide for the organization, staff, patients, and the community?

A: The board oversees the organization and its executives. By providing oversight and establishing bylaws, the board protects the organization, staff, and patients. By combining experience and leadership expertise, the Board of Directors adds value to the organization and its mission.

Q: What part of the community that NOAH serves matters to you the most personally?

A: By location, NOAH Midtown Health Center is closest to my part of town and supports the community that I live in.

The NOAH Board of Directors is a diverse group of volunteers who contribute to the mission of transforming the health of our community. Patients from the communities we serve make up 51% of our board. Learn more about NOAH’s board of directors and how they drive the organization.

NEWS: Latest COVID Surge Impacting Local Healthcare

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The newest wave of COVID cases are impacting people, families, businesses, and organizations throughout our community, including NOAH. Staff across NOAH’s eight health center locations are working hard to ensure patients have access to healthcare and that staff are able to provide the best care possible in a safe and supportive environment.

Video message from NOAH Chief Medical Director Dr. Connie Tucker

NOAH health centers will be making changes over the next few weeks as cases continue to rise. We ask our patients and community to help us in the following ways:

  • Be patient with the NOAH team as we are working with fewer staff. NOAH team members may be out caring for sick loved ones, monitoring symptoms, and following isolation and quarantine guidelines.
  • Switch appointments to virtual appointments if possible. Some appointments must be in-person. However, it is better for everyone if appointments that are able to are switched to virtual
  • Limit to just one visitor accompanying a pediatric patient, or patients with disabilities or mobility issues for in-person appointments.
  • Use MyChart to schedule an appointment or COVID test, ask your provider questions, request a prescription refill, and more.
  • Understand temporary changes, including reduced hours/availability for appointments, longer hold times when calling for an appointment, longer wait times for return call/email from our team.

We are all working to keep our community healthy and safe, but we are working with fewer staff. Please be patient as we remain flexible to the surges and to supporting our staff during this challenging time.

Some Helpful Links:

To talk to a NOAH team member, call 480-882-4545.

MyChart Now In Spanish / MyChart Ahora en Español

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MyChart, the patient portal used by NOAH, HonorHealth, and many other healthcare organizations in Arizona and around the country is now available in Spanish as well as English.

MyChart, el portal para pacientes utilizado por NOAH, HonorHealth y muchas otras organizaciones de atención médica en Arizona y en todo el país ahora está disponible en español e inglés.

NOAH patients or their family members for whom Spanish is their primary or preferred language will now have better access to their healthcare. Having information and communications with your provider team in the language you prefer is an important step for patients to live their healthiest life.

Los pacientes de NOAH o sus familiares para quienes el español es su idioma principal o preferido ahora tendrán un mejor acceso a su atención médica. Tener información y comunicaciones con su equipo de proveedores de atención médica en el idioma que prefiere es un paso importante para que los pacientes vivan su vida de la manera más saludable.

MyChart is free and available as an app on your phone or tablet and is accessible via web browser as well.

MyChart es gratis y está disponible como una aplicación en su teléfono o tableta y también lo puede accesar a través del navegador web.

Benefits of MyChart / Beneficios de MyChart

Patients can use MyChart from anywhere to:

  • Schedule or cancel appointments with your provider.
  • Review test and lab results.
  • Email your provider with non-urgent medical questions and get a response within two business days.
  • Request prescription refills from your provider.
  • Review your medications, immunizations, allergies, and health history.
  • Access patient education resources through nationally recognized sources.
  • Review post-visit instructions.
  • Securely pay your bills online for all of your NOAH and HonorHealth accounts.

Los pacientes pueden usar MyChart de cualquier lugar para:

  • Programar o cancelar citas con su proveedor.
  • Revisar los resultados de pruebas y análisis de laboratorio.
  • Enviar un correo electrónico a su proveedor con preguntas médicas no urgentes y obtener una respuesta dentro de los dos días hábiles.
  • Solicitar a su proveedor que vuelva a surtir sus recetas médicas.
  • Revisar sus medicamentos, vacunas, alergias y antecedentes médicos.
  • Tener acceso a recursos educativos a través de fuentes reconocidas a nivel nacional.
  • Revisar indicaciones posteriores a la visita.
  • Pagar de manera segura sus facturas en línea de todas sus cuentas de NOAH y HonorHealth.

Learn more about MyChart in Spanish or MyChart in English, or sign into your MyChart account and get started!

¡Obtenga más información sobre MyChart en español o MyChart en inglés, o inicie su sesión en su cuenta MyChart y empiece hoy mismo!

NOAH Awarded Grant to Address Rising HIV in Arizona

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NOAH was awarded a grant recently to be part of the solution to the rising cases of HIV in Maricopa County. The program, called Partners in Prevention, is an important way communities across the country are coming together to address the HIV epidemic in the U.S., with the most focus on places like central Arizona.

Maricopa County is recognized as one of the 57 HIV “hot spots” by Health and Human Services. The goal of the program is to work together to reduce new transmissions by 75% by 2025 and by 90 percent by 2030.

The two-year grant NOAH received is from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is part of the first phase to reach the HIV reduction goals nationwide. During those two years, NOAH will launch a specialized team to address the rising cases in Maricopa County by:

  • Increasing HIV testing to identify individuals currently living with the virus. People can call NOAH at 480-882-4545 to make an appointment to get tested!
  • Reducing HIV spread by prescribing PrEP – a medicine that prevents the virus – for people who are at high risk. Learn more about PrEP here.
  • Treating patients. NOAH will connect patients who test positive with high-quality, compassionate, on-going care with partner organizations including Valleywise and Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS.
  • Working with organizations including Sonoran Prevention Works to expand prevention efforts and testing in key areas.

Solving this important issue will take collaboration between individuals and groups with years of experience in healthcare, community outreach, HIV treatment, impactful prevention efforts, and more. NOAH is honored to be able to work with leaders in Maricopa.

New and existing patients can request a test with NOAH online or by calling 480-882-4545.