January 5, 2021
Updates from the STAR² Center
Featured Resources
The STAR² Center is looking for clinicians and staff working in Federally Qualified Health Centers to participate in a 10 to 20-minute interview for the newest season of our podcast series titled, STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success. This season our focus is on the impact of COVID-19 on the health center workforce, its patients, and community. Specifically, we are looking for individuals interested in talking about the following areas: 
  • Vaccination equity and the importance of partnering with BIPOC communities to advance COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
  • The role of mental health clinicians in advancing COVID-19 efforts, especially as it relates to DEI.
  • The complicated dichotomy between clinicians who are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine and their role as one of the most trusted voices in influencing a patient’s decision to get vaccinated.
  • Issues such as burnout, trauma, moral injury, moral distress, and compassion fatigue affecting the FQHC workforce as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our recently released PCA Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Self-Assessment Tool is designed to walk teams through the Core Components of a healthy health center workforce. The tool provides space to reflect and offers tips to address the strengths and opportunities in a PCA's TTA plan.
Self-Care Spotlight
As we move into the new year, mindfulness is at the top of many of our resolutions lists. Action items to practice mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety don't need to be time intensive or expensive. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) compiled a list of mindfulness exercises that can be incorporated into your daily workplace routines.
Upcoming Training & Technical Assistance
The next session in this monthly series will take place on January 14 from 3:00-4:00pm EST. PCA and HCCN staff are invited to join our "train the trainer" series to boost their workforce training skills to support health centers. Materials from past sessions are available in our Resource Center.

The STAR² Center team offers FREE technical assistance to health centers on their workforce needs. Where questions arise in reviewing the Data Profile Dashboards, completing our comprehensive Retention and Recruitment Plan Template, planning for employee engagement, or something else, our team of experts is here to help. The STAR² Center is available to offer phone or web-based assistance free of charge to health center staff.
Partner News
Health Center Resource Clearinghouse
The Health Center Resource Clearinghouse is designed as a one-stop online repository of training and technical assistance resources developed for health centers by the National Training and Technical Assistance Partners. Topics include finance, operations, workforce, quality improvement, capital development, HIT/data, governance and emerging issues.
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This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $625,000 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov