Dear Colleague,
As funding hangs in the balance for the National Health Service Corps and other programs, our community has a vital opportunity to lift our collective voices as advocates during the remainder of the August Congressional recess. This week, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is highlighting tips to help community health centers (CHCs) make the most of this window of opportunity, as well as updated Medicaid redetermination resources. Find these and new webinars on the CHC workforce and staff satisfaction surveys, optometry in community-based settings, and preventing clinician suicide, as well as new articles from ACU's community, in this edition of Clinician & Community.
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There's Still Time to Advocate to #SavetheNHSC During the August Congressional Recess
Just 38 days remain until the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loses ALL guaranteed funding, and the remainder of the August Congressional recess is a crucial time to advocate to preserve the NHSC. ACU is continuing to lead the effort to save the Corps, but we need your voices, your outreach, and your publicity to keep up the momentum at this crucial juncture. Learn quick tips for what you can do during the August recess—from inviting members of Congress to visit your health center to reaching out to local media—join us as an advocate, and stay tuned for further updates!
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Watch: The Need to Fund the NHSC |
View an excerpt from Dr. Luis Padilla's recent address at #ACUConf on how funding makes the NHSC's success in improving access to care and fostering diversity in the clinical workforce possible.
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Medicaid Unwinding and Redetermination Resources
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency's end on May 11 resulted in a Medicaid Unwinding process that has already profoundly impacted health centers. Nearly five million Medicaid enrollees have been disenrolled, and of these, 75% had their coverage terminated for procedural reasons. To help health centers respond as effectively as possible to Medicaid redetermination, ACU has updated our Medicaid Unwinding resources. View FAQs and an informative PowerPoint from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation below:
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New Webinar Explores Implementing and Responding to Staff Satisfaction Surveys
Thursday, Sept. 7: 3-4 p.m. ET
Would you like to learn more about how to effectively initiate or improve the staff satisfaction survey process at your health center? Join ACU’s STAR² Center for a webinar to explore survey design and data analysis, including how to harness survey results to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. This session will equip you with the tools needed to elevate employee satisfaction, nurture a motivated workforce, and ultimately elevate the quality of patient care delivered by your organization.
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In Case You Missed It: Access Your Health Center's Data Profile Dashboard
Analyze your health center's recruitment and retention data and see how your organization compares to others across the U.S. with the latest update to our STAR2 Center's Recruitment and Retention Data Profile Dashboards. Use this information to determine how to make improvements that can impact the effectiveness of your workforce. Contact us to receive access for your team members or with any questions.
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Need Technical Assistance on the CHC Workforce? Let Our STAR2 Center Help
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Further Workforce Resources
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New Webinar Explores Strategies to Prevent Clinician Suicide by Overcoming Barriers and Reducing Stigma
Wednesday, Sept. 13: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
Healthcare professionals are significantly more likely to end their lives by suicide than the general population, yet many do not seek help for fear of stigma or professional repercussions. Join our webinar on Sept. 13 in honor of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day to learn about the dynamics of the crisis, gain concrete strategies to create cultures of wellness for staff to better address suicide risk, and hear a perspective from a professional who has experienced a colleague's passing by suicide.
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Learn About Opportunities for Community-Based Optometry Careers in Our Webinar
Tuesday, Sept. 12: 8-9 p.m. ET
Learn what it's like to practice optometry in community settings in a new webinar from ACU, the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), and Prevent Blindness. On Sept. 12, "Community-Based Optometry Careers: Everything You Need to Know" will give attendees the opportunity to discuss firsthand what it means to offer eye health and vision care services in a federally qualified health center with a panel of CHC optometrists from across the country.
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Learn More About ACU's Partnership with NCMLP in Upcoming Webinar
Wednesday, Oct. 25: 1-2 p.m. ET
Health is determined by social and environmental factors, many of which are deeply entrenched in a complex system of laws and policies that require legal expertise. ACU and the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP) recently announced a new partnership which aims to shift the culture of health by helping ACU Members use medical-legal partnership (MLP) to improve health equity, increase access to justice, and strengthen the healthcare workforce. Register for our listening session to learn more.
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New Article from ACU Executive Director Spotlights Strategies to Diversify the Clinical Workforce
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Members of ACU's Board and Advisory Council Co-Author Piece Exploring Corporate America's Increasing Impacts in Healthcare
ACU Board Member Dr. Brandon Moritz and ACU Advisory Council Member Dr. Kyu Rhee recently collaborated with Dr. Robert Phillips of the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation on an article in Fierce Heathcare exploring corporate impacts on primary care. Learn how this 5th "C" of primary health care could present an opportunity to make primary care more effective and accessible to underserved communities and improve the U.S. healthcare system.
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Welcoming Our Latest Member
ACU is proud to welcome Regional Health Reach as our latest member. This FQHC provides comprehensive medical and dental care to individuals and families who are currently experiencing homelessness in New York's Rochester City and Monroe County areas. Is your organization committed to health equity? Learn more about ACU membership and contact us.
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NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Applications Open Soon
Are you are a student in your last year of medical, nursing, or dental school? You may be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance from the NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program in return for at least three years of providing care at a NHSC-approved site in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area. Find out how you can receive notifications about the application cycle, read eligibility criteria and requirements, and more.
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Submit a Proposal for CVS Health Foundation's Centering Youth Mental Health Funding Opportunity
The CVS Health Foundation is calling for proposals for its Centering Youth Mental Health funding opportunity for locally-led coalitions working to improve mental health outcomes for adolescents and young adults. The grant program is open to coalitions based in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. Applications are due no later than September 8: to learn more, visit the Grants section at the CVS Health Foundation.
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Celebrate Civic Health Month with Us at Vot-ER's Free Conference This Friday
Better civic health can lead to better overall health! ACU is celebrating Civic Health Month and sharing our resources on why fostering patient civic engagement is a clinician imperative, as well as shareable infographics and archived webinars to help providers promote voting in underserved communities. Join our partner Vot-ER's annual virtual Civic Health Conference on Aug. 25 to learn more about healthcare-based civic engagement, and don't forget to explore Vot-ER's social media toolkit, voter registration badges, and more.
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Biden-Harris Administration Launches Heat Monitoring Service
The disproportionate impact of extreme heat on medically underserved populations is an ongoing threat to health equity. On Aug. 11, HHS's Office of Climate Change and Health Equity and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a new online portal mapping emerging medical services' responses to heat-related illnesses in the U.S. View the Heat-Related Illness EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard (EMS HeatTracker) to view state and county-level data as well as breakdowns of patient characteristics.
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New from ACU's Career Center: Assistant Professor - Physician at Oregon Health & Science University, and More
Our Career Center is an excellent resource for job seekers or 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 excited to highlight an Assistant Professor - Physician position with Oregon Health & Science University in Hillsboro, OR, as well as:
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Don't forget: ACU offers free vision care job posts for FQHCs and lookalikes. Learn more.
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Webinars & Collaboratives |
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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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