Dear Colleague,

This week, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is excited to open registration for our upcoming 2021 Conference as we continue to strive for health equity. Learn how to join us in D.C. or online this fall, and don't miss our new toolkit on pediatric suicide prevention released in recognition of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a new partnership with Healthcare Ready, and other announcements below.
Register Now & Enjoy Early Bird Rates at Our Conference
Join us at ACU's Conference, "Mission: Health Equity," occurring in-person in Washington, D.C.'s Mandarin Oriental Hotel and virtually on Oct. 31-Nov. 2! Celebrating 25 years of ACU, the symposium will explore strategies to eliminate health disparities by addressing systemic practices contributing to poor health in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA, and other minority and intersectional groups. The CME-accredited event will offer informative trainings for clinicians, administrators, and advocates alike, in addition to exciting keynote addresses and an in-person 25th Anniversary Reception & Award Ceremony. Register by Sept. 30 to take advantage of Early Bird rates! ACU Members enjoy a significant discount.
#ACUConf Keynote Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Dayna Bowen Matthew, Dean & Law Professor
We're excited to welcome Dr. Dayna Bowen Matthew, JD, PhD, as a keynote speaker at our Conference! Dr. Matthew is Dean & Harold H. Greene Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School and a leader in public health and civil rights law focusing on racial disparities in healthcare. Learn more about her and other distinguished speakers and join us at #ACUConf!
New Resource: Suicide Safer Care: A Toolkit for Pediatric Primary Care Providers & School-Based Health Centers
ACU's latest publication addresses the growing crisis of pediatric suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youths aged 10-24, and rates of suicide among Black youth aged 13 and younger are twice that of White youth. However, health center providers have a crucial opportunity to intervene. Developed in partnership with Concert Health and with the support of the Centene Corporation, the toolkit provides an overview of pediatric suicide, common risk factors and warning signs, and screening tools, clinical pathways, and evidence-based interventions. Read the publication, browse other Suicide Safer Care resources, and stay tuned for an upcoming webinar!
Health Centers & PCAs: 2021 Data Profile Dashboards for CHCs Are Live!
Has your team had a chance to access your health center's Data Profile Dashboard yet? Our STAR² Center recently launched updated 2021 recruitment and retention data profile dashboards detailing CHCs' strengths and weaknesses, as well as national recruitment and retention trends. Learn more about these highly interactive dashboards and how to access them: we have emailed instructions to each health center's CEO. Primary care associations may also access dashboards and aggregate reports from their state's CHCs.
ACU Partnering with Healthcare Ready to Support Health Center Disaster Preparedness
ACU is excited to announce a new partnership with Healthcare Ready! Since 2006, Healthcare Ready has worked across public and private sectors to develop resilient communities through disaster preparedness efforts. In 2020, Healthcare Ready responded to 900 requests for pandemic assistance and coordinated over 15 million donations of PPE. With the support of the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare, ACU and Healthcare Ready have joined forces to support health centers in their disaster preparedness efforts through capacity-building trainings that address state-specific disaster preparedness needs.
Webinar Recording Available: California CHC Wildfire Preparedness & Response Training
Did you miss our first webinar with Healthcare Ready? You can now view the archived webinar and slides to learn how CHCs can incorporate wildfire preparedness principles and emergency response systems. The session explored how CHCs can coordinate with partners before, during, and after disasters, as well as a season forecast and hazard-specific training.
Staff Resilience, C-Suite Leadership, & COVID-19 Comes into Focus in Our Podcast
COVID-19 placed profound stress on healthcare workers, and C-Suite leaders can play a fundamental role in advancing workforce wellness during the pandemic and beyond. That role is the subject of our latest STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success podcast. Cheryl Peterson, CFO of CA's East Valley Community Health Center, joined us to discuss how leaders can support staff resilience, wellbeing, and trust. Listen to the episode, read the transcript, and discover other episodes.
In Case You Missed It: House Bill Includes a 55% Increase in Discretionary Funding for the NHSC
The House Appropriations Committee's recent FY22 Labor, HHS, Education, & Related Agencies funding bill includes almost 55% in new discretionary funding for the National Health Service Corps. More steps are necessary, but ACU is pleased to have led persistent advocacy for the NHSC, grateful to our incredible and indefatigable advocates, and encouraged to see this Congressional support for the Corps.
Welcoming Our New Organizational Members
ACU is proud to welcome the latest members of our community: the Community Health Center Association of Mississippi in Jackson, MS, and Alaska Primary Care Association in Anchorage, AK. Are you or your organization interested in exciting cost-saving benefits and joining a community committed to achieving health equity for all? Learn about ACU membership, contact us, or join us!
Publications & Resources
Webinars
From the Blog
Policy Updates
Before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, ACU will remain here to support you in our shared work to achieve health equity for underserved populations. Your feedback always improves our efforts: please contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any suggestions. Thank you again for everything that you do.
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