Dear Colleague,

It's National Health Center Week! Now and throughout the year, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved celebrates the work of our providers, patients, and partners in improving health equity for underserved populations across the U.S. That shared mission will be the focus of our upcoming 2021 Conference, "Mission: Health Equity."

As we look forward to convening in D.C. and online for #ACUConf, we're highlighting opportunities to nominate outstanding leaders in our field for awards and to browse our new Conference agenda. Read below to find these and other opportunities and resources including online courses on mental health provider recruitment and retention, Civic Health Month materials, and more.
Nominations for Conference Awards Are Due THIS FRIDAY: Each Awardee Will Receive Free Registration!
There's still time to nominate an outstanding individual or organization for an award to be presented at our 2021 Conference, "Mission: Health Equity!" ACU will recognize leaders in the movement to improve health equity for all at #ACUConf, and each awardee will receive free conference registration. Submit a nomination by this Friday, Aug. 13, for one of five awards: Clinician of the Year, Organizational Excellence, Health Professional in Training, Congressional Champion, or Marc Wetherhorn Advocate of the Year.
Learn What's in Store at #ACUConf with Our Agenda & Session Descriptions
From Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C. and online, our 2021 Conference will feature 24 exciting workshops on strategies to eliminate health disparities in underserved populations, and you can now view detailed session descriptions in our Conference agenda! From equitable community collaborations for COVID-19 response to data-driven approaches to strengthen health workforces, these CME-accredited workshops will offer vital trainings for clinicians, administrators, and advocates. Register by Sept. 30 for Early Bird rates! ACU Members enjoy major discounts.
Keynote Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Kyu Rhee
We're honored to welcome Dr. Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, as a keynote speaker at our 2021 Conference! Dr. Rhee is the Senior Vice President of CVS Health, Chief Medical Officer of Aetna, an ACU Advisory Council member, and a national authority on TechQuity, the strategic development and deployment of technology for health equity. Learn more about him and four other distinguished keynote speakers and join us at #ACUConf.
Learn How to Recruit and Retain Mental Health Providers at CHCs with Our Online Courses
Health centers across the U.S. are confronting the need to attract mission-driven mental health providers, and ACU's STAR2 Center has developed two micro-learning online courses to help workforce professionals learn foundational knowledge in best practices to retain and recruit mental health providers at health centers. The free "Retention of Mental Health Providers" and "Recruitment of Mental Health Providers" courses are approximately 15 minutes in length and offer an optional certificate of completion. Access them using our learning management system (free account login required) and view our recent webinar series on mental health workforce development.
Don't Forget: Updated Health Center Data Profile Dashboards Are Available for Health Centers & PCAs
If your team hasn't yet accessed your health center's Data Profile Dashboard yet, now is the time! Our STAR² Center has launched updated 2021 recruitment and retention data profile dashboards detailing CHCs' strengths and weaknesses, as well as national recruitment and retention trends. Learn more about these highly interactive dashboards and how to access them: primary care associations may also access dashboards and aggregate reports from their state's CHCs.
Honor Civic Health Month With ACU & Vot-ER
Join ACU, Vot-ER, and organizations across the U.S. in recognizing August as Civic Health Month in a national, nonpartisan initiative to focus the nation’s attention on the crucial connections between healthcare, healthy communities, and civic participation. Underserved populations are among the least likely to vote, and but clinicians can and should play a crucial role in empowering patients for civic engagement. Browse civic engagement resources including our free webinars and "Why Providers Should Encourage Patients' Civic Engagement" infographic or find more resources including the Healthy Democracy Toolkit at Vot-ER.
Listen to Our Podcast Spotlighting COVID-19's Impact on Rural Communities
Rural communities and border towns are facing unique challenges during COVID-19, and many rural areas already confronted severe resource shortages even before the pandemic. In our latest STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success podcast, ACU's Michelle Fernández Gabilondo brings this issue into focus through a chat with Dr. Adrian Billings, Chief Medical Officer at Preventative Care Health Services in Alpine, TX, and Madeline Dixon, a third-year medical student at Texas Tech in El Paso, TX. Listen to the episode, read the transcript, and discover other episodes.
In Case You Missed It: ACU's Webinar with Healthcare Ready Explored CHC Wildfire Preparedness & Response
ACU recently hosted a webinar on health center wildfire preparedness with Healthcare Ready as part of a partnership to support CHCs in disaster preparedness efforts through capacity-building trainings addressing state-specific needs. You can now view the archived webinar and slides to learn how CHCs can incorporate wildfire preparedness principles and emergency response systems, understand how to coordinate with partners before, during, and after disasters, and view a season forecast and hazard-specific training.
Celebrating National Health Center Week
Today marks the midpoint of National Health Center Week (August 8-14)! Please join us this week in celebrating the lifechanging work of health centers and their providers, staff, and advocates. Health centers offer vital care to nearly 30 million people—1 in 11 in the U.S.—to improve health equity for underserved populations. Find more resources at healthcenterweek.org, join the conversation using the #NHCW21 and #ValueCHCs hashtags on social media, and thank you for all you do!
NHSC Offering Additional State Loan Repayment Opportunities
Applications for $100 million in additional funding from the National Health Service Corps for State Loan Repayment programs open this fall! Through American Rescue Plan funding, the NHSC is offering increased FY2022 cost-sharing grants to states and territories to help operate their own loan repayment programs for primary care providers as well as behavioral and dental health clinicians working in Health Professional Shortage Areas. NHSC-approved sites: don't forget that site recertification applications are now open as well (deadline: September 28)!
New Webinars on Care for the Underserved
Our partners are hosting a variety of webinars of interest to clinicians providing care to underserved populations. A few of these upcoming sessions include:
August 11: 2 p.m. ET
The National Academy of Medicine
August 19: 2 p.m. ET
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
August 12: 3 p.m.
HRSA's Office of Regional Operations for Regions 6, 7, and 7
August 25: 2 p.m. ET
National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC) & HRSA’s BPHC
Publications & Resources
Webinars
From the Blog
Policy Updates
How can we better support you during and after Civic Health Month and National Health Center Week? Please let us know: contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any suggestions. Thank you for all that you do.
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