Dear Colleague,
September marks a month of uncertainty and resolve for our community, as funding cliffs loom for vital programs such as the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the need to do more to support patients and providers alike comes into renewed focus during National Suicide Prevention Month and other observances. Now as ever, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is inspired by the life-changing work and advocacy you do every day to bring quality care within reach for medically underserved communities across the U.S.
This issue of Clinician & Community highlights new trainings and resources to help you in that shared work, including our first-ever JEDI Champion Training and a host of webinars on the health center workforce, suicide prevention, and eye health and vision care. Read below to learn about these trainings, advocacy news, supportive resources, funding opportunities including the NHSC Students-to-Service Loan Repayment Program, and more.
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Register Now for ACU's First JEDI Champion Training!
ACU invites you to join our first JEDI Champion Training on November 7-8 in Nashville, TN! Appropriate for healthcare staff and leaders of all learning levels (particularly those who are involved in JEDI efforts or advocating for diverse staff members), this engaging event will equip you with strategies and knowledge to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at your organization while helping you build a network of peers and allies. Accompanied by a certificate, this training will introduce attendees to the science of bias and discrimination, fostering inclusion and belonging at work, leading with cultural humility, and much more. Only 50 seats are available: learn more and register now to save your spot!
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The Congressional Recess Is Ending, But Advocacy to #SavetheNHSC Continues: Read Our Latest Talking Points
With the U.S. Senate already returned, the end of the Congressional Recess is approaching for the House, too, and it brings the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) still closer to losing ALL guaranteed funding as the Sept. 30 deadline looms. What now? The White House has urged Congress to pass a Continuing Resolution (extending current funding levels) to avert a possible government shutdown as talks continue, and while leaders have expressed openness to a CR, nothing is certain. What is certain is that our advocacy must continue, and it CAN make the difference. Read our talking points on Senate legislation that you can put in practice in your advocacy today, and if you haven't yet, join us as an advocate!
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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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Get #VoteReady—Celebrate National Voter Registration Day on September 19
Civic health is closely tied to overall health, and the medically under-resourced are the least likely to vote. National Voter Registration Day aims to ensure that every eligible person has the opportunity to vote by coordinating efforts to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise. Learn how you can get involved in spreading awareness about this initiative, and be sure to explore our patient engagement resources.
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In Case You Missed It: Medicaid Unwinding and Redetermination Resources
The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency resulted in a Medicaid Unwinding process that has already profoundly impacted health centers. At least 5.5 million Medicaid enrollees have been disenrolled so far. To help health centers respond as effectively as possible to the unfolding 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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TOMORROW: Empower Your Workforce Using Staff Satisfaction Surveys
Thursday, Sept. 7: 3-4 p.m. ET
Staff satisfaction surveys are powerful tools to provide the data needed to drive positive change and enhance retention. Join ACU’s STAR² Center tomorrow for a webinar to explore survey design and data analysis, including how to harness results to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Learn strategies to elevate employee satisfaction, nurture a motivated workforce, and elevate patient care.
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New Webinar: Creating a Resilient Culture for Community Health Centers: Why a Band-Aid Approach Won't Work
Wednesday, Oct. 11: 12-1 p.m. ET
As our community knows all too well, effective communication is critical to CHC success. Join ACU and our partner SMART Conversations® for a webinar exploring how we can improve teams' communications skills and create safe spaces to create truly Resilient Cultures. This session will detail the benefits of Resilient Cultures, their components, and how principles-based communication and psychological safety converge for health center success. Register now and learn more about our partnership to advance CHC organizational effectiveness and workforce excellence with SMART Conversations®.
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Further Workforce Resources
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Join Us for Next Week's Webinar on 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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New Webinar: Suicide Safer Care for Primary Care Providers & Teams (in Spanish)
Friday, Sept. 22: 1-2:30 p.m. ET
Primary care providers, their teams, and their organizations can play vital roles in preventing and intervening with patients at risk for suicide. Join the Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico (primary care association) and ACU for a Spanish-language webinar to learn a comprehensive approach to identifying and intervening with patients at risk for suicide in primary care visits. You will learn about warning signs, how to implement risk assessment, lethal means restriction, safety planning, and more.
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Learn about the scope of clinician suicide in the first part in a new micro-learning video series.
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Don't Miss Next Week's Webinar Exploring Optometry Careers in CHCs
Tuesday, Sept. 12: 8-9 p.m. ET
Are you looking for a career in optometry where you can impact the lives of patients living in medically underserved communities? Sign up for ACU's new webinar on Sept. 12 with the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) and Prevent Blindness. Learn from a panel of health center optometrists from across the U.S. about what it means to offer eye health and vision care services in a federally qualified health center.
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Children's Vision and Eye Health the Focus of Upcoming Webinar
Wednesday, Sept. 20: 2-3:15 p.m. ET
Vision disorders are the fourth most common disability in children in the U.S., and health centers are a vital source of primary care for almost 9 million children and adolescents in this country. Join ACU, Prevent Blindness, and the School-Based Health Alliance for this session to learn about common vision disorders among children, best practices for vision screening and assessment by primary healthcare providers, and strategies for completing referrals for eyecare. This is the first of a two-part series on pediatric eye health.
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In Case You Missed It: ACU Executive Director Explores Strategies to Diversify the Clinical Workforce in Recent Article
Creating a more diverse healthcare workforce is a key element of improving health outcomes for historically marginalized communities. A recent Health Affairs Forefront article from ACU's Amanda Pears Kelly and Niesha Foster, VP of Global Health and Social Impact and Co-Lead of Pfizer's Multicultural Health Equity Collective, highlighted the initiatives necessary to achieve this goal, highlighting successful models such as the National Health Service Corps and the role of multi-sector partnerships.
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Welcoming Our Latest Member
ACU is proud to welcome Med Cure Clinic as our latest member. Med Cure Clinic is a holistic health practice offering on-demand care to patients of all ages in Houston, TX. The Med Cure team sees patients for detailed physical exams, complete with vaccinations and risk-related disease screenings. 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 Program Now Open: Apply by Dec. 7
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. Learn more about eligibility requirements, the application process, and more and apply by Dec. 7.
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Only Two Days Left to Apply for CVS Health Foundation's Centering Youth Mental Health Funding Opportunity
Deadline approaching! Applicants have until September 8 to submit proposals for the CVS Health Foundation's Centering Youth Mental Health funding opportunity for locally-led coalitions working to improve mental health outcomes for adolescents and young adults. This 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. To learn more, visit the Grants section at the CVS Health Foundation.
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Submit Applications for AOF's Caring for Communities Grant by October 16
Providing healthcare to historically marginalized communities is critical to advancing health equity in the U.S. To further this aim, the American Osteopathic Foundation will be awarding $10,000 grants to qualified health centers over 12-36 months to address access and other gaps in care. Awardees must have a DO directly involved in the operation and evaluation of the program, and the project must serve a significant number of patients in need. Read the Request for Proposal and learn more. Applications are due by Oct. 16.
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New from ACU's Career Center: Clinical Director at Community Health Services, 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 a Clinical Director of Adult Medicine position with Community Health Services in Hartford, CT, 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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