Dear Colleague,

This week, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is joining clinicians, patients, and advocates across the U.S. in honoring Black History Month. Whether we are directly improving care to help address racial inequities in health outcomes, working to increase representation of historically marginalized communities amongst our workforce, or advocating for systemic change, all of us can play a role in improving racial and health equity.

Read below to find new resources to help integrate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in primary care, webinars to help improve workforce representation, relevant policy updates, and new funding opportunities. As we prepare for our 2023 Conference, we're also spotlighting new trainings to support our CHC workforce by fostering compensation equity, strengthening employee health benefits, implementing value-based care, and more.
New Recommendations Offer Aid for Addressing Hate Crimes in the Primary Care Setting
In 2020, hate crimes in the U.S. rose to their highest levels in twelve years, and many other incidences of hate-based verbal abuse, assault, and property damage go un- or underreported. The U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services recommend engaging healthcare providers, clinics, and health systems to help address these incidents. To enhance those efforts, ACU's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee has developed recommendations to support administrators and clinicians who are delivering care and services for individuals who may have experienced hate crimes or incidents.
Further JEDI Resources
Register Now & Save for Pre-Conference Workshops, CME-Accredited Sessions, and More at Our 2023 Conference
Join ACU at our 2023 Conference, “Transformation: Elevating Care, Clinicians, & Communities!” From July 23-26 in Washington, D.C., our Conference will unite hundreds of clinicians, administrators, advocates, and health leaders to explore expanding access to care and improving healthcare delivery for medically underserved populations. Register by June 9 for Early Bird savings on 20+ CME-accredited sessions, Pre-Conference Trainings on the CHC workforce and JEDI, a dedicated Hill Day for advocacy visits, engaging keynotes, networking, and more! ACU Members and students receive considerable discounts.
Deadline Extended: Nominate Individuals or Organizations for Conference Awards by March 3
Winners Receive Free Registration
ACU is honored to represent individuals and organizations improving access to quality care for underserved populations. It's not too late to help us honor excellence: nominate an outstanding individual or organization for any of five awards to be presented at our 2023 Conference. All honorees will receive free Conference registration!
New Training Explores Advancing Mission & Driving Health Equity with Value-Based Care
Thursday, Mar. 16: 1-2 p.m. ET
Health centers are at the forefront of addressing health inequity, but their ability to do so is often hampered by low margins and limited resources. However, value-based care offers an alternative to fee-for-service reimbursement based on quality rather than quantity. Join our webinar with On Belay to learn how embracing value-based care can improve margins, help improve quality of care, and foster health equity. This presentation will demystify the transition to value-based care and support CHCs interested in pursuing it.
Learn About Compensation Equity for the Mental Health Workforce in Our Webinar
Tuesday, Feb. 28: 3-4 p.m. ET
As the need for mental health providers continues to grow, health centers must remain agile in their recruitment and retention strategies. Equitable compensation is an essential component for recruiting and retaining a thriving mental health workforce, and compensation equity is intrinsically linked to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Join ACU's STAR2 Center in this webinar exploring tools, tips, and techniques for developing equitable and transparent compensation structures for mental health providers.
Upcoming Webinar: Strengthening Employee Health Benefits for Retention & Resilience
Tuesday, Feb. 28: 1 p.m. ET
Join ACU and Nonstop Administration and Insurance Services, Inc. for a webinar featuring strategies that leaders and HR staff can use to sustain a strong health center workforce by optimizing health and other benefits to improve health equity for patients and staff alike. Featuring insights from Nonprofit HR and Ezra Medical Center, this session also builds on a recent executive guide from ACU and Nonstop on strengthening CHC employee health benefits.
New Webinar Spotlights the Importance of Representation in the Healthcare Workforce
Thursday, Mar. 16: 2-3 p.m. ET
The ACU STAR2 Center's Workforce Professional Development Series concludes next month with a webinar exploring why "Representation Matters: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Among Healthcare Professionals." As with previous offerings, this webinar will feature insights to help you examine workforce issues and bolster recruitment and retention at your health center. View prior sessions on manager training, crafting job announcements, and using the NHSC to recruit clinicians in our archives.
Have Our Workforce Resources Helped Your Organization? Become a Podcast Guest!
If your health center or organization has experienced success using our workforce resources, we want to talk to you. Have our JEDI resources helped advance your workforce efforts? Did you successfully implement a strategy you learned from one of our webinars? Contact us to learn how you can be a guest on our STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success podcast and keep up-to-date on past podcast seasons.
Read Our Policy Analysis on the End of the Public Health Emergency & Medicaid Unwinding
The Biden Administration has announced its intention to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, creating significant implications for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, and health centers, as a recent report from the Geiger Gibson / RHCN Community Foundation Research Collaborative notes. In the resulting "Medicaid unwinding" process, an estimated 15 million Medicaid and CHIP enrollees will likely lose eligibility. ACU’s new policy analysis explains what’s at stake and what we can do.
In Case You Missed It: Read Updated Fact Sheets on the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
Read about the 50-year history and impact of the NHSC in our fact sheets. Our NHSC Program overview examines the Corps' programs, field strength, and funding history, as well as the NHSC's diversity and professions. Our NHSC Funding publication includes further information on the Corps' funding and examines the vital need to expand the initiative, which faces a funding cliff after FY2023. Join us as an advocate and raise your voice for the NHSC!
Biden Administration Issues Further Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity
On Thursday, Feb. 16, President Joe Biden signed a new executive order, "Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government." Adding to his earlier executive order this new order will create an annual process requiring federal agencies to create public equity action plans to address barriers faced by underserved communities, take action to help address civil rights risks, and improve community engagement.
Welcoming Our Latest Member
We are excited to welcome Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care as ACU's latest organizational member. This Georgia health center is committed to improving the health status of all individuals in Savannah-Chatham County, especially patients with limited financial resources or from high-risk populations. Is your organization committed to health equity? Learn more about ACU membership and contact us.
New Postdoctoral Research Grant Available for Clinicians from Historically Marginalized Backgrounds
Applications are now open for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP), which offers four-year postdoctoral research awards to physicians, dentists, and nurses from historically marginalized backgrounds. To support scholars who will spend at least 70% of their time on research and who are dedicated to eliminating health disparities, the AMFDP will offer up to 10 four-year awards of up to $420,000 each. Learn more and apply today.
Health Professionals Invited to Apply for the Vot-ER Civic Health Fellowship
The Vot-ER Civic Health Fellowship is a community organizing and leadership development program for health professionals of multiple disciplines. The seven-month program will provide fellows with a nuanced understanding of civic engagement, health equity, and organizing strategies to address the political determinants of health in their community, and fellows will work with a team to build a nonpartisan voter access campaign. Apply by Mar. 15 for priority consideration.
Now Open: HRSA FY2023 Early Childhood Development Funding Opportunity
Health centers are invited to apply for Early Childhood Development (ECD) grants to help improve developmental outcomes among children. Funding will support approximately 150 health centers to increase developmental screenings and access to appropriate follow-up services for children from birth to five years old, and to expand, enhance, and further integrate ECD expertise into care teams. Learn more and apply by March 17.
The Latest from ACU's Career Center
Our Career Center is an excellent resource for job seekers or healthcare 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 highlighting the following new open positions:

Don't forget: ACU offers free vision care job posts for FQHCs and lookalikes. Learn more.
HRSA Funding Opportunities
Publications & Resources
Webinars
From the Blog & Podcast
Policy Updates

Policy Update: The FY23 Omnibus Bill: What's Included, What's Not, and What It May Mean for Healthcare
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.
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