Dear Colleague,
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) face an ever-evolving environment: from the recently extended Public Health Emergency to uncertainty about the future of the 340B drug pricing program. FQHCs are adapting and reinventing themselves as always to meet these developments, and organizational leadership to foster staff resilience and community partnerships to advance health equity play crucial roles in this process.
In this issue, ACU is spotlighting new trainings and resources to help health centers support their workforce and improve collaboration both internally and externally. Learn about new webinars on alliance building, resiliency, and trauma-informed leadership below, as well as new resources to help prevent suicide in staff, $25,000 grants to support CHC vision services, a new JEDI initiative, policy updates, and more.
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Join Us at Tomorrow's Webinar to Learn Insights on Alliance Building as a Means Toward Health Equity
Thursday, Nov. 3: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
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New Webinar: Introducing the Organizational Leadership & Resiliency Toolkit
Thursday, Nov. 17: 3-4 p.m. ET
Join ACU's STAR² Center and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council for a webinar on Nov. 17 introducing our upcoming Organizational Leadership and Resiliency Toolkit. National experts and toolkit co-authors Matt Bennett, MBA, MA, and April Lewis will provide an overview of resiliency in response to stress and trauma in the health center workforce. The webinar and toolkit will help leaders better understand and implement strategies to support their workforce's wellbeing and help address structural problems.
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Upcoming Webinar Explores Trauma-Informed Leadership
Wednesday, Nov. 30: 2-3 p.m. ET
Join our STAR² Center on Nov. 30 as expert Cindy Manginelli, Director of Community Engagement at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, introduces trauma-informed leadership in our new webinar. This presentation will provide concrete strategies that staff can use to build their own leadership skills and those of their colleagues, as well as to better serve employees with a history of trauma, compassion fatigue, moral distress, or moral injury.
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In Case You Missed It: Explore Updated Health Center Workforce Resources
ACU’s STAR2 Center recently unveiled two updated resources to help CHCs improve retention and recruitment efforts and assess organizational strengths and challenges. The Health Center Comprehensive Workforce Plan can be easily modified for specific health centers' needs and highlights justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Additionally, our updated Workforce Self-Assessment Tool will help you identify which CHC operations are working and which need adjusting.
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View Archived Webinars from Our Retention and Recruitment of Specific Populations Series
Identifying the needs of specific populations is crucial to building inclusive organizations. If you missed our STAR2 Center's series on recruiting specific populations, the archived webinars are available now. In our first session, Rodney Hummer from the Missouri Primary Care Association shared best practices for recruiting and retaining veterans, and Alex Keuroghlian from The Fenway Institute joined us for a second session on hiring and keeping employees from the LGBTQIA+ community.
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New Webinar Explores Preventing Suicide in Healthcare Professionals and Navigating Postvention
Thursday, Dec. 8: 1-2 p.m. ET | CME Credit Available
Healthcare professionals are significantly more likely to end their lives by suicide than the general population, often causing a "ripple effect" and increasing the vulnerability of others. Join Dr. Virna Little, Chief Clinical Officer at Concert Health, and Sarah Bernes, behavioral health expert, for a webinar to understand the dynamics of this crisis and learn strategies to help support primary care providers and teams, prevent deaths by suicide, assess readiness, and implement effective postvention.
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In Case You Missed It: Simple Strategies for Clinicians in Training & Practicing Professionals to Help Prevent Suicide in Primary Care
Clinicians in training are likely to encounter patients at risk for suicide, but students often receive little training in prevention. Our webinar explored strategies for students or practicing professionals to integrate suicide prevention in primary care visits. View the recording with Dr. Virna Little and Dr. Julian Mitton, System Director at CommonSpirit Health, to understand the crisis, learn to recognize warning signs, and implement simple, evidence-based interventions.
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Reminder: Apply by Dec. 31 for Eye Health and Vision Services Grants for Health Centers
ACU with the generous support of the Centene Corporation is still accepting applications from health centers and look-alikes for $25,000 grants to help start or expand permanent and comprehensive eye health and vision care programs. We are excited to award up to five health centers with these grants, and each organization will also receive training and technical assistance and resources to promote a patient-story program.
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ACU Convenes National Stakeholders with Grant Support from CVS Health Foundation to Explore Anti-Racist Approaches to Youth Mental Health Care
ACU was honored to convene national stakeholders in Washington, D.C., for an initiative to address racism in mental health care for children and youth. With grant support from the CVS Health Foundation, ACU united leaders on Oct. 27-28 from the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Medical Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, and others at its D.C. headquarters to discuss anti-racist strategies for pediatric mental health care, as well as broader policy solutions to mental health inequities. Learn about the convening, part of ACU's ongoing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program.
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Policy Update: What the Continuing Resolution Means for the NHSC & CHCs
On September 30, President Joe Biden signed into law a continuing resolution (CR) that prevented a government shutdown just hours before federal funding expired. The CR averted a government shutdown, but what does it mean for the National Health Service Corps and health centers? Learn more in our update on how CHCs can boost civic engagement and advocate for health extender programs vital to health equity in the leadup to midterm elections and beyond.
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Policy Roundup: Open Enrollment Begins, Extended Public Health Emergency, & More
Open enrollment has begun for the Health Insurance Marketplace! CMS is encouraging health centers to engage in a week of action (Nov. 6-12) to spread the word and provide enrollment assistance: learn more. The 2023 Open Enrollment Period runs from Nov. 1, 2022-Jan. 15, 2023. Learn more about enrollment basics and FAQs at Healthcare.gov or find helpful state-by-state Medicaid and CHIP enrollment information at Medicaid.gov. Additionally, HHS recently renewed the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which will continue through January 11, 2023. However, health centers and other organizations can help prepare for the PHE's eventual end with CMS' recent FAQ.
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In Case You Missed It: Learn About ACU's Strategic Plan to Enhance Our Work to Advance Health Equity
ACU's network began with clinicians striving to improve the health of America’s medically underserved populations and support each other, and 26 years later, we continue to support clinicians, organizations, and the healthcare workforce caring for under-resourced communities. ACU recently undertook a strategic planning process to ensure that we can continue to bolster the CHC workforce and effect meaningful change in an evolving healthcare system. Read more about our strategic priorities, updated mission, and more.
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Welcoming Our Latest Member
ACU welcomes Norwalk Community Health Center (NCHC) in Norwalk, CT, as our latest Organizational Member. A federally qualified health center, NCHC has provided high-quality medical care rooted in compassion, respect, dignity, quality, and excellence for more than two decades. NCHC staff are as multi-lingual and as diverse as the 14,000 individuals who rely on them for care. Is your organization committed to health equity? Read about ACU membership and contact us.
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HRSA Offering $25 Million in CHC Grants to Increase Equitable Access to Maternal Health Care in Underserved Communities
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There's Still Time to Apply to the NHSC's Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP)
The National Health Service Corps' S2S LRP is still accepting applications! Open to students in their last year of medical, nursing, or dental school, the program offers up to $120,000 in loan repayment in return for serving for at least three years at an NHSC-approved site in medically underserved areas. Have questions? Don't miss next week's upcoming Q&A session on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ET.
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Honoring National Rural Health Day (Nov. 17)
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The Latest from ACU's Career Center
Our Career Center is a great resource for job seekers or healthcare organizations looking to hire quality staff to serve under-resourced populations. ACU Members get premier access by logging in to our member portal and using the discount code. View recent postings:
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Funding Opportunities
HRSA
Deadline: Dec. 5, 2022
HRSA
Deadline: Dec. 12, 2022
ACU
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2022
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Upcoming Webinars:
Archived Webinars:
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STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success Podcast: Seasons 1-3
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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. Thank you for all that you do.
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