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Dear Mariah,
Happy New Year from the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU)! As 2024 begins, we're excited to be entering our 28th year of working to support and strengthen the CHC workforce with exciting new initiatives and events. Learn about a few of these new developments, including the BPHC Workforce Well-being Technical Assistance Initiative and our 2024 Conference Call for Abstracts, below.
This issue of Clinician & Community also features our latest policy analysis (and a call to be ready for tomorrow's day of action), helpful fact sheets and self-assessments for health centers, new opportunities to engage with ACU as a potential staff or committee member, and more.
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Advocates: Watch Your Inboxes for Our Call to Action Tomorrow!
Funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Expires Jan. 19
ACU is requesting all advocates to please call their U.S. Senators and House Representative on Thursday, Jan. 11, to ask them to protect and expand funding for the NHSC in FY24 and beyond. ACU will send a policy update Thursday morning with further details. To prepare for our day of advocacy tomorrow, read our update.
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Congress Reaches Tentative Deal to Fund the Government
On Jan. 7, Congressional leaders reached a $1.66 trillion agreement to finance the federal government in 2024. However, this leaves a very tight window for Congress to pass the deal and avoid a partial government shutdown on Jan. 19. What does this deal mean for the National Health Service Corps? For discretionary funding only, the NHSC's funding levels would hold flat at current (FY2023) levels—about $125.6 million. To learn more about the deal's implications, read our update.
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Learn What Aid from the NHSC Meant to Dr. Jennifer Poast of San Ysidro Health
To Dr. Jennifer Poast, DO, MA, FACP, of San Ysidro Health, financial assistance from the National Health Service Corps allowed her to repay her student loans while beginning a more-than-20-year career at health centers. Read Dr. Poast's tale of her Corps experience, her FQHC journey, and why she "wouldn't dream of doing anything else with my career"—and don't forget to share your own NHSC impact story with us!
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ACU Joins Sign-On Letter Rejecting Cuts to Non-Defense Discretionary Funding
ACU joined 1,098 organizations in a sign-on letter urging Congress to reject any full-year continuing resolution that would result in cuts to non-defense discretionary programs including the NHSC. Read our full statement.
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Don't Forget: Submit Your Proposal for Our 2024 Conference Call for Abstracts
With the New Year well underway, there's no better time to submit a workshop and poster abstract for ACU's 2024 Conference! In Washington, D.C., on Aug. 4-7, our 2024 Conference, Envisioning a More Equitable Future: Advancing Stakeholder-Centered Innovation, will explore the importance of including stakeholder voices and input–whether from patients, staff, communities, or partners–when shaping innovations in workforce development, clinical practice, or community engagement and advocacy to help bring holistic, equitable, and inclusive care within reach for underserved populations. ACU is seeking proposals reflective of our theme in numerous tracks by Feb. 9.
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Learn About Our Partnership with JSI in BPHC's Workforce Well-being Technical Assistance Initiative
ACU recently partnered with JSI to support a new Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) initiative to help address health centers' unique needs, informed by the HRSA Health Center Workforce Well-being Survey, to boost their healthcare staff's well-being and build a resilient workforce. View the recording of the BPHC Workforce Well-being Technical Assistance's kickoff webinar, subscribe for updates, explore the new website, and stay tuned to learn more about this exciting initiative!
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New Webinar: Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Programs for Staff Retention
Join the BPHC Workforce Well-being Technical Assistance initiative for an interactive case study webinar on Thursday, Jan. 11, at 3-4 p.m. ET. Featuring presenters from Aviva Health, an Oregon-based CHC, this presentation will explore how to retain engaged, dedicated, and experienced health center staff by building an HP-ET program.
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Learn How to Implement Staff Satisfaction Surveys with Our New Infographic
Staff satisfaction surveys provide health center teams with invaluable information to drive positive change, optimize policies, and enhance employee retention. Our STAR2 Center's new infographic will help your organization plan, implement, and respond to staff satisfaction surveys, from data collection to action plans.
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Learn Best Practices & Assess Your Progress with Our Centers of Excellence Fact Sheets
ACU's Centers of Excellence (COE) initiative works to identify key standards and develop resources to help health centers achieve excellence in services and care to advance health equity. To complement our detailed briefs on best practices in eye health and vision care; justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; suicide prevention in primary care; and workforce retention and recruitment, ACU has now developed four concise fact sheets featuring recommendations and visual assessments to help CHCs better assess where they stand in their own service provision. Access the resources and contact us with questions.
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Access Helpful Materials and Resources During Glaucoma Awareness Month
Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness, and many people don't realize they have it until they receive a comprehensive eye exam. Receiving proper vision care is especially important for people living in underserved areas who often face barriers to access. Learn more during Glaucoma Awareness Month with resources from the National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness and visit ACU's Eye Health and Vision Care Program to learn more.
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Apply to Become ACU's New Program Manager or Training Specialist
ACU's staff is growing! We're seeking qualified candidates to fill two open positions. 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 learn more and apply now or share these opportunities with colleagues:
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Welcoming ACU's Latest Staff Member: Anna Casillas, Administrative Assistant
Join us in bidding a warm welcome to Anna Casillas, the latest member of ACU's dedicated staff. As an Administrative Assistant, Anna plays an exciting role in a new HRSA initiative with ACU and Abt Associates to establish a National Health Workforce Institute and is responsible for managing numerous virtual engagements and workshops, among other duties. Learn more about ACU's staff online.
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Join ACU's Membership Committee and Help Us Continue to Grow
Apply by Jan. 31
Are you interested in helping to enhance the ACU membership experience and grow our membership base? If so, we invite you to apply to join our Membership Committee and contribute to discussions of member recruitment and retention! Committee Members must be individual members of ACU or serve at an ACU member organization, and be willing to commit to joining virtual Committee meetings held quarterly in the evening. Tell us about yourself and your professional background and share why you're interested in joining ACU's Membership Committee by Wednesday, Jan. 31. We especially encourage students to consider joining!
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In Case You Missed It: Healthcare Professionals & Advocates Discuss Health Equity on ACU's New Podcast
Be sure to add ACU's new bimonthly Purpose in Practice podcast to your playlist. Guests share their perspectives and experiences on advancing health equity, improving the quality of healthcare for underserved communities, and much more. Catch our first episode with the Chair of ACU's Vision Services Committee and Coastal Family Health Center's Director of Optometry Dr. Ashley Burns about how vision care impacts overall health and the challenges faced by patients living in medically under-resourced areas.
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In Case You Missed It: Read Our Post on How the NHSC Can Help Build the CHC Workforce
As the U.S. continues to face healthcare workforce shortages, many organizations are looking for new ways to recruit and retain clinicians. A recent post on ACU's Allying for Health Equity blog explains how the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) can help fill this provider gap. Learn about the process of becoming an NHSC-approved site, the benefits and eligibility requirements, the types of NHSC programs, how to recruit, retain, and support NHSC clinicians, and much more.
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HRSA Publishes Revised List of Health Professional Shortage Area Designations
The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) recently published a Federal Register Notice announcing the complete list of Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations reflecting an updated list of designated HPSAs and removing those previously proposed for withdrawal in December. Find more detailed data in the HRSA Data Warehouse.
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New from ACU's Career Center: Optometrist at Vision to Learn 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 an Optometrist position with Vision to Learn in Delaware, 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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Publications & Opportunities | |
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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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