The Program to Enhance Relationship Centered Communication (PERCC) was launched at Legacy Wake Forest Baptist Health in November 2015 in response to growing evidence that physician communication is a critical driver of patient experience, quality outcomes and value-based reimbursement. Grounded in the principles of Relationship- Centered Communication (RCC), the development of PERCC was led by Peter R. Lichstein, MD and designed in conjunction with the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH).

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist physician educators were trained by ACH in facilitation skills and included Peter R. Lichstein, MD, Raghava Nagaraj, MD, Greg Waters, MD, Jennifer Helderman, MD, Andora Bass, MD, Marcia Wofford, MD and Billy Rice, MD, who established PERCC as a provider- led, skills based approach to improving clinician-patient communication across the continuum of care. Debbie Smothers, FNP later joined as a facilitator and became the first APP in the role.

PERCC 101 for clinicians is structured as an interactive, small group communication skills program, typically enrolling eight participants per session and intentionally mixing physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers and other clinical team members. The curriculum focuses on three core skill areas: beginning the visit by connecting and setting a shared agenda; building rapport through active listening, empathy, and understanding the patients’ perspective; and closing the encounter with clear explanations, teach back, and effective visit closure. Sessions emphasize brief didactic content paired with demonstration and facilitated practice, allowing participants to apply skills in realistic clinical scenarios.

As the program grew, Northwest AHEC became a key partner in supporting PERCC’s reach and sustainability by providing accredited continuing education credit and assistance with participant registration, ensuring clinicians could more easily access training while meeting professional requirements. PERCC eventually expanded to include Leadership PERCC, a program focused on developing practical communication skills for leaders and fostering stronger team connections. It enhances existing leadership strengths and is suitable for leaders at every stage.

PERCC Participation and Reach

Since its inception, PERCC has engaged a wide and varied group of healthcare professionals. Through 2025, 2,296 people have completed PERCC training. This diverse group includes 779 attending physicians, 600 leaders and officers, 480 nurse practitioners and physician assistants, 80 registered nurses, and 357 resident physicians. These figures reflect the program’s ability to attract participants from multiple disciplines, underscoring its relevance and appeal across different roles within the healthcare team . Early data showed that overall physician communication scores increased and most of the individual communication measures (5 out of 6) also improved.

The current PERCC facilitators include Greg Waters, MD, Andora Bass, MD Marcia Wofford, MD, Billy Rice, MD, and Debbie Smothers, NP, who continue to deliver both foundational and leadership PERCC sessions.

Over the past ten years, PERCC has demonstrated that relationship-centered communication skills can be taught, practiced, and sustained in complex healthcare environments. From its 2015 launch to its broad adoption by 2025, PERCC has contributed meaningfully to patient experience, clinician development, and organizational culture.

As healthcare continues to prioritize human connection alongside clinical excellence, PERCC stands as a model for how intentional communication training—supported through strong partnerships like Northwest AHEC—can help shape safer, more compassionate care.

Article written by: Beth Hickman, Patient Experience Advisor at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

Online Self-Paced Learning - Jan 5, 2026 - Apr 22, 2026

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In-Person Skills Day

Apr 22, 2026, 1PM - 5PM - Register

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Apr 23, 2026 8AM - 12PM - Register

At Northwest AHEC, Winston-Salem, NC

This course focuses on skills needed for providing basic breastfeeding management and support - including prenatal and postpartum counseling and management of common concerns and clinical problems.

The 2026 North Carolina Lactation Educator Training Program consists of online self-paced training modules and a separate in-person skills day.. You will need to register separately for the in-person skills day.

Following the completion of this activity, the participant should register for the in-person skills day.

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2026 NC Annual STI Update - Live Webinar - March 25 8:00AM - 4:00PM

Join us VIRTUALLY on March 25th for the 2026 NC Annual STI Update to explore the latest developments in sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Registration now open!

Topics:

• Epi Trends
• The Injectable Era of HIV Prevention
• The ABCs of Hepatitis: Clinical Insights and Public Health Solutions for NC
• A “Rash”-ional Approach to Diagnosing Infectious and Non-infectious Rashes in Outpatient Settings
• Emerging Sexually Transmitted Infections
• The Vaginitis Spectrum: Mastering Diagnosis and Treatment
• Mycoplasma Genitalium Updates
• View Full Agenda

*Please Note - Registration closes at 10 AM (ET) on March 23*

Online Self-Paced Learning | 1 CME / 1 Contact Hours | $20 Fee

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Healthcare professionals are often the first—and sometimes only—point of contact for victims of human trafficking. This self-paced online course equips practitioners with the tools to recognize, respond, and report trafficking situations with compassion and accuracy.

What You’ll Learn:

• Identify potential victims of sex and labor trafficking based on observable indicators and patient interactions.
• Understand how Social Determinants of Health—including minority status and substance use—impact vulnerability to trafficking.
• Apply Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) principles when engaging with individuals who may be victims.
• Navigate appropriate reporting protocols, including options when victims do or do not consent to assistance.

Why It Matters:

This course goes beyond stereotypes to provide realistic, evidence-based insights into trafficking scenarios. You’ll gain practical knowledge to support victims and connect them with local and national resources.

Available Credits:

• 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Hours
• 1 Contact Hours from Northwest AHEC

Cost: $20

View the 2024-2025 Annual Report

At Northwest Area Health Education Center (Northwest AHEC), our mission is clear: to improve health for all. This year’s Annual Report reflects that commitment, showcasing how we’ve responded to the evolving needs of our 17-county region and beyond. 

Adapting to Serve Our Communities

Every year brings new challenges—and new opportunities. In 2024–2025, our team and partners faced the ongoing health care workforce shortage head-on. Across disciplines and communities, we worked together to recruit, train, and retain the professionals who are essential to the health of our region.

We’re proud to highlight the resilience and dedication of health care professionals, students, educators, and community partners who stepped up with purpose and passion.

Spotlight on Impact

You may notice throughout the Annual Report that we chose to highlight a few counties from our 17-county region—Yadkin, Surry, and Stokes. These counties are featured not only in the stories we tell, but also in the artwork that brings the report to life. All the artwork throughout the report was created by local artists, with the cover art by Nick Bragg, titled Pilot Mountain Spring, capturing the spirit and beauty of our region.

In Ashe County, a group of newly trained physicians launched Seven Peaks Family Medicine in West Jefferson, filling a critical gap in rural health care. Northwest AHEC supported their journey from the start, helping them build a sustainable practice.

In Winston-Salem, the annual Share the Health Fair at the Downtown Health Plaza expanded its reach. With guidance from Northwest AHEC, medical students from Wake Forest University collaborated with physical and occupational therapy students from Winston-Salem State University to offer gait and balance assessments—bringing more comprehensive care to those in need.

Collaboration and Innovation

These stories are just a glimpse into the collaborative spirit that drives our work. By partnering with health care organizations and fellow AHEC colleagues across North Carolina, we’ve made our efforts more efficient and impactful—sharing resources, combining initiatives, and amplifying results.

Looking Ahead

We’re inspired by the initiative shown by the next generation of health care professionals. Their energy and commitment fuel our optimism for the future. But we know there’s more to do.

Together with community leaders, schools, universities, and organizations, Northwest AHEC remains dedicated to building a stronger, healthier region—for everyone.

Explore the full Annual Report to see how we’re making a difference across Northwest North Carolina: nwahec.org/annualreport2025

Michael P. Lischke, EdD, MPH
Richard Janeway, MD, Distinguished Director of Northwest AHEC

While you are exploring check out this statewide facts at a glance - North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Fiscal year 2025 (July 2024-June 2025)

Register Today to Join Us March 4th - 6th, 2026 in Greensboro, NC!

The NC "One Community in Recovery" Conference is a place where individuals working and involved in recovery as defined in its broadest terms can share their work and gain support from others involved in the recovery movement. The conference is primarily focused on promoting the growth of the North Carolina Recovery Movement, teaching participants how to get recovery programming up and running in their own communities, showcasing the most progressive recovery practices, and bringing individuals interested in the recovery movement together as students and partners.

Full agenda details have been posted - make sure to check it out!

Keynote Address: Robert Whitaker

Robert Whitaker is the author of five books, three of which tell of the history of psychiatry. In 2010, his Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness won the U.S. Investigative Reporters and Editors book award for best investigative journalism. Prior to writing books, he worked as a science reporter at the Albany Times Union newspaper in New York for a number of years. He is the founder of madinamerica.com, a website that features research news and blogs by an international group of writers interested in “rethinking psychiatry.”

Keynote Address: Revolutionizing Recovery: Turning Pain into Purpose - Devin Lyall

Devin Lyall is the Founding Executive Director of Wilkes Recovery Revolution, INC., dedicated to building a community where recovery is possible through hope, healing, and rebuilding lives. As someone with personal experience of substance use and mental health challenges, Devin brings invaluable lived perspective to her leadership. Wilkes Recovery Revolution leads eleven programs, including transitional housing, harm reduction, community outreach, workforce support, fresh food initiatives, thrift operations, crisis intervention, and post-overdose response. Devin has received multiple honors for her work, including the Great State Hero Award and the National Recovery Community Organization of the Year award. Her story and WRR’s impact have been featured in numerous media outlets, and she recently delivered a TEDx Talk. Devin is also a devoted dog lover who treasures time with her family.

Making Group Work, Work in Abuse Intervention Programs! Facilitating Change: Group Work Practices in Abuse Intervention Programs 

October 16-17, 2025 9:00 am – 4:30 pm 

LIVE WEBINAR

Are you ready to transform your approach to group facilitation in Abuse Intervention Programs (AIPs)? Join us for a dynamic two-day training designed to equip facilitators with the tools, strategies, and confidence to lead impactful, accountable, and engaging group sessions—no matter what curriculum you use.

Grounded in social work group principles, this training will help you:

• Create safe and structured group environments that promote engagement  
• Apply cognitive-behavioral and psychoeducational techniques to support change  
• Navigate resistance and conflict to strengthen group effectiveness 
• Incorporate mentorship and peer learning as tools for accountability  
• Collaborate with community and legal systems to enhance intervention efforts 

Whether you're new to facilitation or looking to sharpen your skills, this training will help you make group work, work.

👉 Registration open click here t

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder and chronic suicidal ideation, has evolved into a powerful, evidence-based approach for a wide range of mental health challenges. Today, DBT is effectively used to treat conditions such as depression, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and substance use disorders in both adolescents and adults.