Clinician & Community Newsletter
September 9, 2020
Dear Advocate,

As we prepare for the ACU's 2020 Virtual Conference, our eyes are toward real solutions to improving health equity in underserved communities. This week, we're highlighting your opportunity to engage not only with the CME-accredited trainings that #ACUConf will offer, but also to help inform our response to evolving policies, take part in the NHSC's latest call for loan repayment program applications, find recruitment and retention resources from the STAR2 Center, and more.
Our Virtual Conference Is Nearly Here: It's Not Too Late to Register!

The ACU's 2020 Virtual Conference is just days away, but there's still time to register to join us next week for CME-accredited trainings on best practices and emerging issues in care for the underserved! Haven't signed up yet? Here are five reasons to join us at #ACUConf:

  • The chance to learn from nationally renowned authorities on health equity from the National Minority Quality Forum, NAACP, VotER, The Ohio State University, and HRSA.

  • Five chances to win a Fitbit! One attendee each day will receive a Fitbit thanks to our generous sponsor Centene.

  • Our ACU Conference app offering you the chance to network with other attendees, plan your conference agenda, and receive event updates in real time. The most active attendee will win a free registration to our 2021 Conference!

  • Our unique discount for student attendees: health professionals in training can receive full access to our Conference and a free one-year ACU membership for just $50!

  • A dedicated HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce update from Luis Padilla, MD, Associate Administrator with the Bureau of Health Workforce and Director of the National Health Service Corps.

#ACUConf is your chance to learn best practices from health equity leaders while networking with clinicians, students, and administrators working to improve health equity across the U.S. Register now for full or limited access to the 20 workshops, general sessions, and keynotes at our CME-accredited conference.
ACU Responds to Health Professional Shortage Area Scoring Criteria Request for Information

This spring, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a request for information (RFI) seeking public input and feedback to inform policy considerations related to changes to scoring criteria for Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). HRSA's effort to solicit public input and suggestions will help inform possible policy changes to the scoring criteria which ultimately determine HPSA designations and what resources and programs can be leveraged to support expanding access to care in these underserved areas. As many advocates are aware, HPSA scores and designations are a critical element of what enables health centers and other organizations to secure National Health Service Corps placements. For this reason, the ACU has been actively soliciting feedback from our leadership, members, and network at large to help inform our official comments and recommendations to HRSA's RFI. If you have feedback, input, and/or questions about ACU's forthcoming comments and recommendations, please contact us. The deadline to submit comments is Friday, Sept. 18: look for updates and how to access the ACU's official comments in the weeks ahead.
Archived Policy & Practice Webinar on How Providers Can Promote Civic Engagement for the Underserved Is Now Available

Did you miss our recent Civic Health Month webinar on the role providers can play in increasing patients' civic engagement? You can now view archived video and slides from the presentation. Learn how you and your organization can become catalysts for increased voter participation through legal, nonpartisan civic engagement activities in the webinar.
The NHSC's New S2S Loan Repayment Program Application Cycle Is Open! Apply by Nov. 5, 2020

The National Health Service Corps' Students to Service Loan Repayment Program application cycle is now open! If you are a student in your last year of medical, dental, or nursing school, you may be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance of up to $120,000 in exchange for at least three years of service at an NHSC-approved site in a Health Professional Shortage Area. Learn more at the NHSC. Applications are due Nov. 5, 2020.
Latest from the STAR² Center: Retention & Recruitment Resources and New Workforce Leader Podcasts

STAR² Center Retention & Recruitment Plan Template: Strategic planning for workforce recruitment and retention forms the foundation of the STAR² Center's resources and training opportunities. Our Retention & Recruitment Plan Template is a comprehensive and customizable resource that can help your health center to build a workforce plan. The template walks through critical steps from conducting a practice assessment, onboarding new staff, succession planning, and more. Check out the supporting resources for this template to share with your team.
Listen to Our Workforce Leader Podcasts: the STAR² Center Chats with Workforce Leaders are live on our site for your listening pleasure! In Episode 1, Suzanne Speer interviews Scott Owens, Chief Workforce Officer at Mountain Family Health Centers in Colorado, about how he uses strategic planning to empower and engage the workforce at his health center. The first three episodes of this series are available now and feature engaging and informative chats with health center leaders and experts.
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What We're Reading: Articles on Health Disparities, Civic Engagement, and Social Justice in the Underserved


Do you have suggestions for articles to highlight in the future? Let us know!
Now, as always, the ACU is here to support your vital work to improve care for those who need it most in underserved areas. Your feedback always improves our work, and we encourage you to contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any suggestions to inform our efforts. Thank you for providing a lifeline of support for patients and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.