Dear Advocate,

As the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved prepares for our 2021 Annual Conference, Mission: Health Equity, we are excited to not only continue our call for abstracts but also to offer new eye health and vision care grants to assist health centers working to expand access to these critical services for underserved communities.

This week we're spotlighting these and other opportunities, including our new Training Specialist position, ACU's health equity partnership with Pfizer, and more. Learn more below and please help inform the programming and design of our 2021 Annual Conference by filling out our 20-second conference survey. 
Our 2021 Conference Call for Proposals Is Still Open
There's still time to submit workshop or poster abstracts for our 2021 ACU Annual Conference – Mission: Health Equity. We are seeking practice, policy, workforce, and other proposals highlighting strategies to improve health equity for the underserved, especially BIPOC and other marginalized populations. Our Conference will unite hundreds of clinicians and public health leaders from across the U.S. Learn more and submit an abstract by Feb. 26.
Reminder: Please Take Our 20-Second Conference Survey
ACU is presently planning to hold our 2021 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., from August 1-4. However, to ensure that our event aligns with the best public health measures for COVID-19, we are considering hosting the Conference virtually or as a hybrid event (with key sessions available via streaming). Help inform our decision: please fill out our quick survey.
Announcing Our Latest Eye Health and Vision Care Grants: Apply by March 12
February is Low Vision Awareness Month, and ACU is honoring this observance by partnering with the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare and the American Optometric Association Foundation to provide small grants of $5,000-$10,000 to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to assist with start-up costs for eye health and vision care programs. Apply for our latest grants by Friday, March 12, at 7 p.m. ET.
It's Not Too Late to Sign Up for Next Week's Moral Injury Webinar on Feb. 18
Join ACU's STAR2 Center and trauma expert Matt Bennett for a free webinar on strategies to address moral injury at 2-3 p.m. ET on Feb. 18. Moral injuries and distress can profoundly impact health center staff, and this webinar will examine these key concepts, the impact of COVID-19, and how FQHC leaders can advance resilience and post-traumatic growth through systemic change.
Announcing Our New Health Equity Initiative with Pfizer
ACU is pleased to announce that Pfizer, our long-term Corporate Ally, will join us in a new initiative to improve health equity for the underserved. Read about Pfizer's support and participation in new ACU educational initiatives including health and vaccine equity webinars through its Multicultural Health Equity Collective.
Join the ACU Team: Apply for Our New Training Specialist Position
ACU is seeking a new Training Specialist to join our team! This mission-driven individual will help grow ACU's workforce development initiatives by designing and implementing online and in-person trainings and technical assistance on health center workforce recruitment and retention as part of our STAR2 Center.
Read ACU's Statement on the Strengthening America's Health Care Readiness Act
ACU strongly supports vital bipartisan legislation from Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) to provide a historic investment in the National Health Service Corps, Nurse Corps, and National Disaster Medical System. Learn how the Strengthening American’s Health Care Readiness Act will address healthcare workforce shortages in underserved communities during and beyond COVID-19.
What We're Reading: Challenges and Glimpses of Hope for Health Equity
COVID-19 vaccine rollouts continue to illuminate sharp racial health disparities, but these initiatives also present opportunities to implement meaningful strategies for health equity. Recent articles outline possibilities for true change:
During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, ACU will continue to support you in our shared work to achieve health equity for the underserved. Your feedback informs our efforts: please contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any feedback. Thank you for everything that you are doing to improve care and advocacy for underserved communities.
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