Early Bird Registration Closes FRIDAY! Register for ACU's JEDI Champion Training on Nov. 7-8 in Nashville, TN

There are only three days left to register early and save for ACU's first-ever JEDI Champion Training: Early Bird rates close on Friday, Oct. 6! On Nov. 7-8 in Nashville, TN, this two-day seminar will equip healthcare staff and leaders of all learning levels with knowledge and strategies to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at their organizations while building a supportive network of peers. Offering a certificate of completion, this training with expert faculty will help you explore the science of bias and discrimination, leading with cultural humility, group facilitation and non-violent communication, and more. Remember to book your room at our discounted rate at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt Nashville Downtown and save your spot now: only 50 seats are available!

Spotlight on Speakers: Join Expert Faculty at Our Training

ACU is honored to welcome four incisive speakers to our JEDI Champion Training! Sharpen your skills in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion with our dedicated faculty, including:

Compensation Available: Apply to Join Our New CHC Pediatric Leadership Workgroup

Are you interested in helping address barriers to care for medically underserved communities and creating a well-coordinated continuum of care for young children? ACU, Zero to Three, and the American Academy of Pediatrics are searching for six subject matter experts to serve on a CHC Pediatric Leadership Workgroup. Participants will be responsible for attending meetings and reviewing materials from November 2023 to October 2024 to provide expertise to the Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems (ECDHS) Evidence to Impact Center and ECDHS health leaders engaged in technical assistance. Compensation is included: learn more and apply.

ACU Is Hiring! Join Our Growing Team

ACU's team is growing! If you're a mission-driven individual committed to supporting the healthcare workforce and improving the health of America's medically underserved communities, we invite you to apply for one of five new positions with ACU's team. Learn more and apply now, or share these opportunities with colleagues.

TOMORROW: New Webinar Explores Best Practices for Leading a Diverse Staff

Thursday, Oct. 5: 2-3 p.m. ET

Effective clinical leadership and a supportive team environment foster mental health and resiliency to challenges, reduce burnout, and improve patient care. Don't miss tomorrow's session from ACU’s STAR² Center team to learn best practices in strengthening teamwork amongst a diverse staff and evidence-based tools to communicate more effectively, manage stress, and make diversity a strength within health center teams.

ACU's Partner SMART Conversations^® Presents Webinar on Fostering Resilient Cultures in Community Health Centers

Wednesday, Oct. 11: 12-1 p.m. ET

Join ACU and SMART Conversations® next week for our webinar exploring how to improve communication skills and create safe spaces to foster Resilient Cultures in the workplace. Learn about the benefits and components of a Resilient Culture, how the five principles and four core Conditions of SMART Conversations® create a framework for success, and much more. Register now for this engaging session.

New Webinar Series Expores Recruiting and Retaining Integrated Care Teams

Oct. 24 and 31: 3-4 p.m. ET

Health centers play a vital role in offering holistic care to patients, including and beyond medical treatment, to encompass diverse services. This two-part webinar series hosted by ACU's STAR² Center will include presentations from the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership and the National Network for Oral Health Access exploring innovative ways of building and maintaining transdisciplinary healthcare teams.

Register for Part Two in Our Eyes on Access Series Exploring Pediatric Vision Services

Wednesday, Nov. 1: 2-3:15 p.m. ET

Community health centers are the vital source of primary care, including vision care, for almost 9 million children and adolescents in the U.S. Join ACU, Prevent Blindness, the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the School-Based Health Alliance for the second part in this series to learn about the four models of vision care for children in CHCs, enhance skills for identifying community partners, and raise awareness of the importance of integration of primary (pediatric) care and eyecare in health centers. 

In Case You Missed It: View Part One in Our Series on Children's Vision Services in CHCs

Vision disorders are the fourth most common disability in children in the U.S., and health centers play a vital role in pediatric eye health. If you missed the first session in our Eyes on Access series with Prevent Blindness and the School-Based Health Alliance, you can now access the archived video. Learn about common vision disorders among children, best practices for vision screening and assessment by primary care providers, and strategies for completing referrals for eyecare.

Related Eye Health and Vision Care Resources

• Webinar Series: Eyes on Access
• Interactive Tool: Vision Services Assessment
• National Eye Institute Resources: Eye Health Education Program
• Publication: Integrating Eye Health and Vision Care for Underserved Populations into Primary Care Settings, 2020

New CHC Webinar Series: Preventing Suicide in Patients & Staff

November 2023-January 2024

Suicide rates reached their highest recorded levels in 2022. As vital providers of primary care, health centers can play a key role in addressing this public health crisis. Join a webinar series from ACU and the Missouri Primary Care Association to learn evidence-based strategies to identify and intervene with patients at risk, to support clinicians and staff who may themselves be at risk, and to create a culture of Suicide Safer Care for all at CHCs. Learn more with our flier or register now for one or all sessions.

In Case You Missed It: View Our Spanish-Language Webinar on Suicide Prevention in Primary Care

Healthcare professionals, primary care providers, and their organizations can play vital roles in preventing and intervening with patients at risk for suicide. ACU recently partnered with the Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico to host a Spanish-language webinar to learn a comprehensive strategy to identify and intervene with patients at risk for suicide in primary care visits. Watch the archived video and slides to learn about warning signs, risk assessment, lethal means restriction, safety planning, and more.

HIV Clinical Fellowship Program Applications Now Open: Apply by Dec. 4

The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation are accepting applications for the 2024-2025 HIV Clinical Fellowship training year. This program supports physicians who are not trained in infectious diseases to pursue one year of HIV clinical training under the mentorship of an HIVMA member at clinical sites serving patient populations who have historically been medically underserved or marginalized. Apply by Dec. 4, 2023.

EMPOWER Project Equips Teens with Multimedia Tools to Help Manage Asthma

Asthma disproportionately impacts children of racial and ethnic minorities. The EMPOWER project is a collaboration between the National Environmental Education Foundation and Hip Hop Public Health of original educational songs and animated videos, all designed to empower young individuals to manage their asthma. This collection aims to teach healthy behaviors and inspire teens to take charge of their health with evidence-based, self-management skills. Explore the collection and learn more.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month and Mental Illness Awareness Week

Join ACU in honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), which recognizes not only the unique achievements, history, and diversity of Latinx individuals but also the ongoing need to advance health equity for these patients by providing culturally and linguistically competent healthcare services. Browse resources at the HHS Office of Minority Health and CDC. Oct. 1-7 also marks Mental Illness Awareness Week, and we hope you'll join us in raising awareness of the continued need for behavioral care services, including suicide prevention, at health centers during this time.

New from ACU's Career Center: CMO 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 Chief Medical Officer position with Community Health Services in Hartford, CT, as well as:

What We're Reading