Dear Colleague,

As 2022 comes to a close, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is grateful for your incredible work and leadership in caring for your communities in the midst of an evolving healthcare system. From funding uncertainties to shifting political landscapes, this has been a challenging year for health centers and other organizations alike. But as always, you've stepped up and stepped forward, and we're inspired, humbled, and grateful for your vital work on the front lines for patients who need it most.

To better support your vital efforts, ACU staff recently met in Washington, D.C. to discuss our evolving strategic work to assist our network and achieve health for all. We're excited to bring that vision to even greater fruition in 2023, and in the meantime ACU is proud to end our year with a plethora of new resources and trainings to support the CHC workforce. Read about our new organizational resilience toolkit, health center C-Suite leadership network, podcast episodes, and more below, and thank you again for all that you do.

Please note: ACU's offices will be closed next week on December 26-30 and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023. Happy holidays!
Last Call: Apply Now for ACU's Eye Health and Vision Services Grants for Health Centers
Applications Due Next Saturday, Dec. 31
If your health center is interested in starting or expanding a vision care program, there's still time to apply for ACU's $25,000 grants for health centers and lookalikes! With the generous support of the Centene Corporation, ACU is offering the $25,000 grants to up to five health centers, which will also receive training and technical assistance from members of our Vision Services committee and other subject matter experts, as well as assistance to promote a patient story program. Learn about grant requirements and past awardees and apply by Dec. 31.
C-Suite Leaders Invited to Join New Learning Network on Developing HP-ET Programs
Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) is an integral part of preparing health centers to face the changing workforce landscape. We invite health center leadership teams to apply for the ACU STAR2 Center's new learning collaborative on strategically planning for and investing in HP-ET programs. This six-part learning initiative will explore financial planning and action steps to develop or grow HP-ET programs at your CHC.
Explore Our New Organizational Leadership and Resiliency Toolkit
ACU's STAR2 Center is pleased to share our new Organizational Leadership and Resiliency Toolkit created in collaboration with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Co-written by Matt Bennett and April Lewis, this new resource connects health centers and organizational leaders with tools to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce, ways to address structural problems in the healthcare industry, and strategies for responding to stress and trauma at their organizations.
New Podcast Episodes Highlight Data- and Mission-Driven Approaches to Supporting Employee Wellbeing
The fourth season of ACU’s STAR2 Center Talks Workforce Success podcast is exploring burnout and compassion fatigue in new episodes. Dr. Matthew Malek of Thundermist Health Center joins us for Episode 17 to share data-driven approaches to employee wellness and strategies for securing leadership support for resiliency and wellness efforts. In Episode 18, TrueCare's Mimi Mateo discusses her organization's mission-driven approach to supporting staff wellbeing. Listen to the discussions, review past seasons, and stay tuned for new episodes!
Register for Sessions in Our Workforce Professional Development Webinar Series
Jan. 19, Feb. 16, and Mar. 16: 2-3 p.m. ET
ACU's STAR² Center invites health center, PCA, and HCCN workforce teams to participate in our ongoing Workforce Professional Development Series. Faculty and guest speakers will bring their expertise on workforce issues and share national, regional, and state insights. Running from December 2022-March 2023, this monthly series aims to bolster workforce efforts to support health center recruitment and retention from a variety of perspectives. December's session will be archived and available soon.
Learn How to Address Suicide Risk in Clinicians & Start Postvention in Our Archived Webinar
Healthcare professionals are significantly more likely to end their lives by suicide than the general population, and these passings can cause "ripple effects" increasing the vulnerability of others. View our archived webinar with Concert Health's Dr. Virna Little and Sarah Bernes to understand the dynamics of this crisis and learn strategies to address suicide risk in primary care providers and teams and implement effective postvention.
Explore JEDI Resources on Building Inclusive Organizations, Anti-Racism, & More
Did you know that ACU's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) initiative offers helpful resources for health centers? Get started with our in-depth Building an Inclusive Organization Toolkit and webinar series, and view other webinars exploring identifying and addressing structural racism in organizations and clinical perspectives. Contact us to learn more or to request a training or technical assistance.
New JHCPU Supplemental Issue Explores Health Equity Partnerships
ACU’s Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU) has released a special supplementary issue highlighting "Cross-Sector Partnerships to Advance Health Equity." This edition examines COVID-19 vaccination equity in refugee communities, public-private partnerships to engage under-resourced communities in Medicaid expansion, academic-industry partnerships, and more. Don’t forget: ACU Members get free access to JHCPU by logging onto our member portal and clicking the link on the left menu.
Member Highlight: HealthLinc Creating New Clinic in Michigan City, IN
Congratulations to ACU Member HealthLinc in Indiana for breaking ground on a new facility to improve access to medical care for under-resourced populations in Michigan City, IN! The 39,000-square-foot facility will open in early 2024, offering medical, dental, behavioral, optometric, and other services while creating a "learning lab" for students of Ivy Tech Community College to help address the need for a well-prepared health workforce. Learn more or read about ACU membership.
It's Not Too Late: Consider Supporting ACU in Your Yearend Giving
Since 1996, ACU has tirelessly striven to build and sustain a robust, diverse healthcare workforce to help transform communities to achieve health equity for all. The support of individuals like you has made our work possible for 26 years, and as 2022 comes to a close, we hope you'll consider helping us to continue our work by making a tax-deductible donation to ACU. Thank you again for your incredible work, commitment, and vision.
Apply for New Children’s Vision Screening Certification Course Scholarships
A new program from Prevent Blindness and Zenni Eyewear is supporting vision screening and access to eye care for medically underserved populations across the U.S. Prevent Blindness is offering limited scholarships for their nationally recognized Children’s Vision Screening Certification Course featuring in-depth online modules and virtual skill assessments in partnership with Zenni. The scholarship also offers access to vouchers for free eyeglasses for children.
Revisit #NHSC50: Celebrate 50 Years of the National Health Service Corps
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and ACU was proud to celebrate the Corps' proud history throughout 2022 and at our NHSC Gala. Revisit the NHSC's storied history and join us in celebrating its tireless work to connect clinicians with medically underserved communities at the Bureau of Health Workforce's #NHSC50 page. View a detailed timeline, participant stories, videos, and more, and share your own insights in these last days of 2022 using the hashtags #NHSC50 or #IamNHSC and tagging the NHSC's Facebook or Twitter accounts.
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.

This week, ACU is highlighting an optometrist position in Montefiore's School Health Program. This clinician will serve children and adolescents and provide screening, full examinations, and assessment/treatment for ocular problems. Learn more and apply on ACU’s job board. ACU offers free vision care job posts for FQHCs and FQHC lookalikes. Contact us for more information.
Funding Opportunities

Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2022

Health Resources & Services Administration
Deadline: Jan. 17, 2023
Publications & Resources
Webinars
From the Blog & Podcast
Policy Updates
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.
Did you receive this message as a forwarded email? Sign up for our mailing list and learn about ACU Membership.