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October 2016
In This Issue:
Corps Community Month
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL CORPS COMMUNITY MONTH Add a description
During the month of October, the National Health Service Corps will celebrate the role that NHSC clinicians play in bringing essential primary care to underserved communities. Of the Corps' 9,600 clinicians, more than 2,100 are working in rural areas. This year's theme is "Share Your Service", and Corps members have uploaded videos about their experiences on  the NHSC Facebook and Twitter pages.  Participate in the NHSC Job Fair on October 18th and, on October 19, make the message louder by joining the NHSC Thunderclap.
Election 2016
ACU VOTER RESOURCE CENTER
With the election just weeks away, ACU has created a Voter Resource Center where you can find your Members of Congress, double check your voter registration, and find all the local, state and national elections happening in your neighborhood. 

If you have moved or your name has changed, you need to update your registration to prevent any confusion on election day. You can find out how to do that in our Voter Resource Center.
 
ACU is completely non-partisan but completely committed to encouraging civic engagement by all our members and the patients they serve. We want all our advocates to vote in this year's elections and we want you to have as much information about the candidates and issues as possible.
ACU / Envolve Vision Van: 2017 Scheduling
"SEE MORE" VISION VAN AVAILABLE FOR 2017
ACU partners with Envolve, Inc. to bring the "SeeMore" Vision Van, a traveling eye care vehicle, to individual sites across the country. Vision care is extremely important, and through this collaboration, we are able to provide free eye care services to underserved communities.
 
In 2017, we are planning to schedule one visit each month at ACU affiliated organizations. If you are interested in having the Vision Van visit your center and offer free vision screenings, please complete the Interest Survey by October 31. 
 
Community members in need will have the opportunity to have their eyes checked for possible problems, receive a free vision screening and eye glasses, if needed. Prescription glasses will be made available to children in need at no cost, and reading glasses will be made available for all adults in need at no cost.
 

Clinical News & Resources
An older, unemployed man with chronic back pain recently visited Dr. Robert Devereaux, a family physician in this Southwest corner of Virginia. Devereaux recalled that months earlier, during a routine exam, he found crushed fragments of painkiller pills inside the patient's nose. Though he refused to prescribe more, Devereaux worries that the man is still getting the drugs and has not recognized his problem or gotten treatment for his addiction. (Kaiser Health News)

In theory, clostridium difficile (aka C. diff) does not seem like a tough problem to solve. Yes, it's a deadly bacterial infection that sickens almost a half-million people and contributes to some 29,000 deaths every year, the vast majority in hospitals and other healthcare settings. And yes, it has recently become both more common and more deadly. But the weapons needed to defeat this bug are inexpensive and straightforward: soap, gloves, disinfectants, and the proper use of antibiotics. (Consumer Reports)
 
Two prescription medications have been found to be successful in helping many patients with alcohol cravings. Yet they are rarely used and many patients don't know they exist. (Kaiser Health News)
 
Let's Call Mental Health Stigma What It Really Is: Discrimination
It's no secret that there's a veil of shame surrounding mental illness. Nearly one in five American adults will experience a mental health disorder in a given year. Yet only 25 percent of people with a psychological condition feel that others are understanding or compassionate about their illness, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. (Huffington Post)
Policy Updates
The list of preventive services that insurers must cover without a co-pay could grow to include mammograms for younger women, testing that follows an irregular screening and birth control for men. (Kaiser Health News)
 
Hillary Clinton: My Vision for Universal, Quality, Affordable Health Care
The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine invited the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, to answer the following question for Journal  readers: What specific changes in policy do you support to improve access to care, improve quality of care, and control health care costs for our nation? Secretary Clinton responded. Mr. Trump did not respond. Secretary Clinton's response includes a mention of the National Health Service Corps in Goal III. (New England Journal of Medicine)
 
Despite New Zika Funds, States Might Not Get Any For Months
Newly approved Zika funding isn't likely to reach states and localities for several more months because of the federal goverment's budgeting process, health officials said Monday. After months of partisan feuding, Congress last week approved a budget bill that includes $1.1 billion to fight the Zika crisis. That's just over half the total emergency money that President Obama requested in February. Although local and state health officials have been eagerly awaiting assistance, funds aren't likely to be flowing right away. (Washington Post)
 
The Solutions To America's Drug Cost Dilemma (And Why They Won't Happen)
Despite the growing political furor, the odds of significant federal action on drug costs this year or next are slim, experts say. That may surprise voters, given the torrents of rhetoric and promises from politicians. Yet the issue of how to make drugs more affordable for individual patients and society is so complex and sensitive-and drug industry opposition so formidable-that a comprehensive, politically viable approach to solving the problem has yet to emerge. (Modern Healthcare)
ACU Membership
ACU STUDENT MEMBER PROJECT members
ACU student member Jeanne Wigant was selected by the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation as one of the 2016 Family Medicine Leads Emerging Leader Institute Scholars. A passionate proponent for the homeless, Jeanne is focusing her year-long project on developing a sustainable program to supply needed toiletry items to emergency shelters across the country. The program is  Truckloads of Toiletries , a contest that a ny allopathic or osteopathic medical school is eligible to participate in. For details, both the Official Contest Guide  and the official registration form can be found online . For more information on the contest, please email Jeanne at  truckloadsoftoiletries@gmail.com . Let's help out a fellow ACU member!

FREE STUDENT MEMBERSHIP AVAILABLE
W e are pleased to announce that our 2016 Student Membership Scholarship Program is accepting applications! Sponsored by ACU's Immediate Past President Kathy Brieger , ACU is offering a select number of free one-year Student Memberships.
 
To be considered, please complete the survey below and tell us a little about yourself. If you are a current ACU member, this offer will extend your membership for another year. The deadline for entering is October 31, with winners notified in November. A full list of ACU membership benefits is located on our website.

Careers
ACU CAREER CENTER
You can apply for one of the 2,940 Jobs from 986 Employers hiring today in the ACU Career Center , including these:


There are also many opportunities for primary care providers in Oregon, Texas, Washington, and more. Search the ACU Career Center today.
Conferences & Webinars
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WEBINARS
ACU supports the health care workforce by providing opportunities for continued professional development and interaction with other health professionals committed to the underserved.
 
For Scholarships and fellowships - click here

2017 ACU ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
July 30 - Aug 2, 2017
Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, DC
Registration and Hotel Reservations Coming Soon

Income and Health Inequalities and their Relationship to Population Health Delivery Systems
Sponsored by Systems for Action National Coordinating Center
Wednesday, October 12th, Noon (EDT) - webinar
 
18th Annual Health Education Advocacy Summit
Sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education
October 15th - 17th
Washington, DC
 
5th Annual Health Care Summit: Health Forward
Sponsored by the U.S. Chamber and U.S. Chamber Foundation 
Tuesday, October 18th 
1615 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 
 
Conference on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Sponsored by the Center for Youth Wellness
October 19th - 21st
San Francisco, CA
 
Accreditation and Multi-Sector Contributions to Population Health Activities: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis
Sponsored by the University of Kentucky College of Public Health
Thursday, October 20th, 1:00 p.m. (EDT) - webinar
 
2016 Influenza Update
Sponsored by the Association of Public Health Laboratories
October 25th, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (EDT) - webinar 
 
American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo
October 29th - November 2nd
Colorado Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency
Denver, CO
 
Bridging the Gaps: Reducing Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse and Misuse Summit
Sponsored by the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute, in a joint partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
November 14th - 16th 
Arlington, VA
 
Population Health Policy & Strategy Under the New Administration
Sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson University, College of Population Health
December 1st and 2nd
Hyatt Regency, Washington, DC
 
Inaugural Summit on the Social Determinants of Health
Sponsored by the The Root Cause Coalition
December 5th - 6th
Chicago, IL
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