Dear Mariah,


As we prepare for our upcoming JEDI Champion Training, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is highlighting new resources to support our community in building stronger, more integrated teams and implementing best practices to support wellness for patients and staff alike. Learn about a new fact sheet on building resilient and trauma-informed workforces, our upcoming webinar series on caregiver integration and suicide prevention, partnerships with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, and more below.

It's Not Too Late! Join ACU Next Week at Our JEDI Champion Training on Nov. 7-8 in Nashville, TN

There's still time to register for ACU's engaging JEDI Champion Training! Only a week away, our engaging symposium on Nov. 7-8 in Nashville will help healthcare staff and leaders of all learning levels understand strategies to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at their organizations while building their network. Learn more in our program about our in-depth workshops and speakers, and plan your experience at our certificate-granting seminar. Limited seats remain: register now and book your lodging at our discounted rate.

Learn More and Register

Update: A New House Speaker & Continuing NHSC Advocacy

With only 17 days remaining until National Health Service Corps (NHSC) funding expires with the end of the Continuing Resolution (CR), ACU continues to urge Congress to renew and expand funding for the Corps. Recent weeks have seen much transition: on Oct. 25, Congressman Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) was elected as the 56th Speaker of the House. The fourth-term Louisianian is a conservative Republican who serves the predominantly rural 4th Congressional District. ACU was pleased to see Congressman Johnson sign the FY24 Community Health Center Appropriations letter that would support the 10 health centers in his district, and we look forward to working with a member who has routinely called for greater bipartisan investment in expanding rural healthcare to address health disparities.

 

While the situation is still fluid, ACU is working with evolving House and Senate leadership and reaffirms our endorsement of the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act (S. 2840), which would include $950 million in annual funding in fiscal years 2024-2026 for the NHSC. Congressman Johnson has indicated that he would propose a CR extension until Jan. 15 or Apr. 15, based on whichever legislation has the most House Republican support. In the meantime, with no guaranteed funding beyond Nov. 17, more than 21 million people could lose access to services provided by clinicians with the NHSC, which has a field strength already insufficiently funded to fully meet needs in shortage areas. Stay tuned for further updates and become an ACU Advocate to keep informed of our latest calls to action.

Join Our Advocacy Network

New Fact Sheet: Building a Resilient & Trauma-Informed Workforce

It is critical that health centers understand the importance of developing a trauma-informed organization that prioritizes staff well-being and resilience. Our STAR² Center's new fact sheet explores what it means to be trauma-informed and explains the concept of resilience, both individual and organizational. It details how CHCs can operate in a “new normal” to support staff well-being after experiencing the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic and other national and global struggles.

Read the Publication

Learn How to Integrate Caregivers and Home Health Workers into Clinical Care Teams in Our New Webinar Series

Nov. 2 | Nov. 20 | Nov. 28 | & More

When patients receive support from a caregiver—whether professional, family member, or friend—clinical staff have a vital opportunity to understand and impact health factors not readily visible in the clinic. Sign up for one or all sessions in our six-part webinar series starting on Nov. 2 at 2-3:15 p.m. ET to hear from experts, healthcare consumers, and caregivers to learn about opportunities and challenges, consumer autonomy and decision making, and tools for appropriately working with caregivers and home health workers as part of full care teams.

Register Now

View Recorded Sessions in Our STAR2 Center's Empowering Comprehensive Care Series

Did you miss our STAR² Center's webinar series exploring best practices for recruiting and retaining integrated care teams or want to review what you learned? View the first session and download slides from the presentation featuring the National Network for Oral Health Access now. Our second webinar with the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership is also available.

View the Recordings

Don't Forget: Save the Date for the ACU STAR2 Center Workforce Symposium

April 29-30: Nashville, TN

As communities work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, well-being, psychological safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the forefront of workforce and clinical innovation. As your health center, PCA, or Health Center Controlled Network moves forward, it’s important to continue to grow in these areas. Join ACU's STAR² Center for a symposium of speakers and resources, as well as a workshop to get your CHC’s Comprehensive Workforce Plan up to speed.

Learn More

Learn About Our Partnership with SMART Conversations® to Improve Communication at CHCs

In October, ACU joined our partners at SMART Conversations® for a webinar exploring strategies to improve communication skills and create safe spaces to foster Resilient Cultures at CHCs. View the recorded session to learn about the benefits and components of a Resilient Culture and how the five principles and four core conditions of SMART Conversations® create a framework for success, learn about our ongoing partnership, or contact Dr. Herman Williams and Paul Weisman for free consultation.

Learn More

Today: Don't Miss Part Two of Our Pediatric Vision Services Series

Wednesday, Nov. 1: 2-3:15 p.m. ET

Join us today for the second part of our webinar series on children's vision and eye health at health centers. ACU joins Prevent Blindness, the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the School-Based Health Alliance to explore the four models of vision care for children in CHCs, enhance skills for identifying community partners, and raise awareness of the importance of integration of primary (pediatric) care and eyecare in health centers. Catch up on part one in the archives.

Register

Related Eye Health and Vision Care Resources

Join Our New Webinar Series: Preventing Suicide in Patients & Staff at CHCs

Starting Next Week! Nov. 2023-Jan. 2024

Nearly half of people who end their lives by suicide visit a primary care provider in the month before their passing, and suicide rates reached their highest rates in the U.S. in 2022. As vital providers of primary care, CHCs can help address this public health crisis. Starting on Nov. 7 at 12-1 p.m. ET, our five-part webinar series with the Missouri Primary Care Association will help you learn evidence-based strategies to identify and intervene with patients at risk, to support staff at risk, and to educate leaders on creating supportive systems for prevention. Learn more and register for one or all sessions.

Register Now

Related Suicide Safer Care Resources

ACU & the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Are Partnering to Address Lifestyle-Related Chronic Disease Health Disparities

ACU is entering a new strategic partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to equip hundreds of thousands of physicians with education and training to further their practice and better treat chronic disease among historically medically underserved patients. The collaboration will help clinicians treat, prevent, and even reverse lifestyle-related chronic disease health disparities that have a disproportionate impact on communities of color, while advancing each organization’s mission to diversify the medical workforce. Learn more about the partnership.

Learn More

ACU's Partnership with NCMLP in Focus in Recent Listening Session

ACU and the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP) recently held a webinar to share how this new collaboration aims to improve health equity, increase access to justice, and strengthen the healthcare workforce. View the archived webinar and slides and learn how ACU members can use medical-legal partnership to shift the culture of health and improve the lives of underserved communities.

Watch the Recording

ACU Is Hiring: Join Our Expanding Team

ACU's team is growing! If you're a mission-driven individual committed to supporting the healthcare workforce and improving the health of America's medically underserved communities, we invite you to apply for one of five new positions with ACU's team. Learn more and apply now, or share these opportunities with colleagues.

Training Specialist

Health Center Workforce Well-being Technical Assistance Initiative

Vice President of Workforce and Partnership Development

Administrative Assistant

National Health Workforce Training & Technical Assistance Institute

Training Specialist

National Health Workforce Training & Technical Assistance Institute

Associate Director

National Health Workforce Training & Technical Assistance Institute

Learn More and Apply

Apply Now for the NHSC's Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP)

The National Health Service Corps' S2S LRP is now accepting applications! Open to students in their last year of medical, physician assistant, nursing, or dental school, the program offers up to $120,000 in loan repayment in return for serving for at least three years at an NHSC-approved site in medically underserved areas. This year's program features a supplemental Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA) Supplemental Award of up to $40,000 for eligible disciplines. Have questions? Join the upcoming Q&A session on Nov. 30 at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ET. Apply by Dec. 7.

Learn More and Apply

See Where Your State Ranks in the ALA's COPD State Briefs

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. To help empower healthcare and public health professionals to learn more about COPD and take action, the American Lung Association has released their first-ever COPD State Briefs. This new resource includes data about prevention, diagnosis, health outcomes and treatment of the disease for all 50 states and D.C. Download the COPD State Brief for your state.

View the Briefs

Apply by Dec. 4 for the HIV Clinical Fellowship Program

There's just over one month left to apply for the 2024-2025 HIV Clinical Fellowship. This program from the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation supports physicians who are not trained in infectious diseases to pursue one year of HIV clinical training under the mentorship of an HIVMA member at clinical sites serving patient populations who have historically been medically underserved or marginalized. Submit applications by Dec. 4.

Learn More & Apply

Commonwealth Fund Accepting Applications for Minority Health Policy Fellowship: Apply by Dec. 1

The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University is designed to prepare physician-leaders, particularly physicians from groups underrepresented in medicine, to become leaders who improve the health of historically marginalized populations. Applications are now being accepted for this one-year, degree-granting, full-time fellowship beginning in July 2024. Each Fellowship provides an $80,000 one-year stipend, full tuition, individual health insurance, books, fellowship travel, and financial assistance for a practicum project. Apply by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.

Learn More

New from ACU's Career Center: Assistant Professor - Physician at OHSU, and More

Our Career Center is an excellent resource for job seekers or organizations seeking to hire quality staff to serve medically under-resourced populations. ACU Members get premier access by logging in to our member portal and using the discount code. This week, ACU is excited to highlight an Assistant Professor - Physician position with Oregon Health & Science University in Hillsboro, OR, as well as:

Access the Career Center
Don't forget: ACU offers free vision care job posts for FQHCs and lookalikes. Learn more.

What We're Reading

STAT: "Treating Rural America: The New Country Doctors"

Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy: "How Many Children Are Losing Medicaid?"

JAMA: "US Medical Student Plans to Practice in Underserved Areas"

Health Affairs: "Medicaid Expansion Lowered Uninsurance Rates Among Nonelderly Adults In The Most Heavily Redlined Areas"

Politico: "The Opioid Crisis Has Gotten Much, Much Worse Despite Congress' Efforts to Stop It"

The Hill: "1 in 4 U.S. Medical Students Consider Quitting, Most Don't Plan to Treat Patients: Report"

Publications & Opportunities

Webinars

Calls for Participants:


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Upcoming Webinars:




Archived Webinars:


From the Blog & Podcast

Policy Updates

STAR2 Center Talks Workforce Success Podcast: New Season on STAR2 Center Success Stories


Allying for Health Equity Blog: Pay Equity Is Here, and It Is Time for Employers to Answer the Call

Policy Update: ACU Applauds Bipartisan Legislation to Fund the National Health Service Corps


The Latest Updates from Our #SavetheNHSC Campaign

ACU is here to help: if we can do anything to better support your work to improve care and advocate for patients living in historically marginalized communities, please contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any feedback.
Did you receive this message as a forwarded email? Sign up for our mailing list and learn about ACU Membership.

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