Browse Sessions & Register Now for the 2024 ACU STAR² Center Workforce Symposium!

April 29-30 in Nashville, TN

Don't miss your chance to join nine engaging sessions, HRSA updates, and more at our STAR² Center's 2024 Workforce Symposium: Inclusive Innovation: Putting People First! From ensuring pay equity and psychological safety to optimizing marketing and branding, our symposium's in-depth workshops on April 29-30 at Nashville's Graduate Hotel will provide innovative strategies to help staff at primary care associations, health centers, and health center-controlled networks enhance their workforce recruitment and retention initiatives. Full session titles are available: learn more and register now, or contact us with questions!

Join Our Comprehensive Workforce Plan Workshop on May 1-2

Want to dive deeper into shaping your organization's workforce plan? Register for our separate Comprehensive Workforce Plan Workshop, Choose Your Own Workforce Adventure, following our symposium on May 1-2! Also held at Nashville's Graduate Hotel, this workshop for CHC HR professionals, managers, and leaders will make you the protagonist of your workforce journey as STAR² Center experts help you navigate the complexities of crafting a powerful workforce plan. Browse the working agenda to discover your workshop options–from compensation to recruitment budgets–and register now!

Another Continuing Resolution Offers Just Six Weeks More of NHSC Funding

Last Friday, President Biden signed the third Fiscal Year 2024 continuing resolution (CR) into law, avoiding yet another government shutdown by funding the government until March 1 and 8. For the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), this two-tiered deal averted a potentially devasting funding cliff, but the clock is still ticking: NHSC funding now ends on March 8. The good news is that this gives us more time to build pressure on Congress to preserve and expand Corps funding! Read a full breakdown and learn what you can do to keep up the advocacy in our update, and become an ACU Advocate to stay informed!

Learn What Aid from the NHSC Meant to Dr. Susan Balke in Marianne, AR

After the National Health Service Corps helped Dr. Susan Balke complete medical school, she repaid that assistance by starting her career at Lee County Cooperative Clinic, a rural clinic in Marianna, AR. Today, thanks to the Corps' help, she still practices part-time in that very same community, connecting rural patients to care. Read her story and don't forget to share your own NHSC impact story with us!

Apply for ACLM's New National Training Initiative Scholarship by March 31

Our partners at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) have committed $2 million in matching funds to expand access to lifestyle medicine in under-resourced communities via the 2024 Lifestyle Medicine National Training Initiative Scholarship Program, and we invite CHC physicians to apply! These scholarships will support training and certification for one physician in lifestyle medicine at each U.S. health center and include a one-year ACLM membership, conference registration, and more. Learn more and apply.

Clinicians Underrepresented in Medicine Are Invited to Apply for ACLM's HEAL Scholarship by March 17

ACLM's 2024 Health Equity Achieved through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) Initiative Scholarship Program provides needs-based assistance to clinicians underrepresented in the field who are working to address the disproportionate amount of medically underserved patients living with or at a higher risk for chronic diseases. Read requirements and apply now for this opportunity.

ACE Health Coaching Demonstration Project Offers Free Training & Support for CHCs

Health coaching can help patients make sustainable lifestyle changes to help treat, reverse, and prevent chronic disease. To help integrate this in health center services, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) is launching a Health Coaching Demonstration program for CHCs which will provide free training and certification in health coaching for one care team member in up to 20 sites. ACU invites CHCs to take part in this exciting ACE initiative, which will also connect participants with peers to facilitate implementation. Contact our partners at ACLM to learn more.

In Case You Missed It: Learn How to Implement Staff Satisfaction Surveys with Our Infographic

Staff satisfaction surveys provide CHC 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.

Begin 2024 with Training and Technical Assistance from Our STAR² Center

Did you know that ACU's STAR² Center offers free technical assistance to health centers on their workforce needs? Where questions arise in reviewing our Data Profile Dashboards, completing our health center Comprehensive Workforce Plan template, or simply with general workforce issues, our team of experts is here to help. Our STAR² Center is available to offer assistance or relevant resources free of charge to health center staff.

New Webinar: Fostering Leaders that Support Workforce Well-being and Retention

The BPHC Workforce Well-being Technical Assistance initiative will host another engaging webinar on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 2-3 p.m. ET. This session will explore the driving factors that make great leaders, how these leaders can build and grow cultures of well-being at health centers, tools for staff leading at all levels to support the workforce and colleagues, and more.

Remember: Submit Abstracts for Our 2024 Conference Call by Feb. 9

There are just over two weeks left to submit a workshop and poster abstract for ACU's 2024 Conference, Envisioning a More Equitable Future: Advancing Stakeholder-Centered Innovation! We're excited to gather with you in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 4-7, to 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. Submit your proposal by Feb. 9.

In Case You Missed It: Learn Best Practices & Assess Your Progress with New 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 complement our briefs on best practices in eye health and vision care; justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; suicide prevention; and workforce retention and recruitment, ACU recently developed four new fact sheets featuring recommendations and visual assessments to assist CHCs. Access the resources and contact us with questions.

Review Recorded Webinars in Our Suicide Prevention for CHC Patients & Staff Series

Concluding yesterday with a virtual office hours session, ACU's recent webinar series with the Missouri Primary Care Association explored evidence-based strategies for suicide prevention in primary care for clinicians, staff, and leaders at health centers. Archived webinars and recordings are now available for all didactic trainings in this Suicide Safer Care series, including:

CHC Pediatric Workgroup Provides Support for Early Childhood Development

In November 2023, ACU began partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to form the AAP/ACU Community Health Center Pediatric Workgroup, a group of experts who provide technical assistance and guidance to support the Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center. ECDHS supports states in building equitable, family-centered early childhood systems to improve the health and well-being of babies and toddlers. Read more about the Workgroup's goals and members.

Don't Miss ACU's Podcast on Health Equity—New Episode Coming Next Week

In the inaugural episode of ACU's Purpose in Practice podcast, Dr. Ashley Burns shared the impact of vision care on overall health. Every two months we're excited to continue bringing you interesting and engaging interviews with health care providers and experts as we discuss ways to advance health equity, improve the quality of healthcare for underserved communities, and much more. Stay tuned for episode two coming next week! Interested in being a guest or have an idea for an episode? Contact us and let us know.

New Partner Blog Post: Harnessing Gratitude to Prevent Burnout

For staff at patient-centered medical organizations, burnout may seem inevitable. Simple practices, however, can help individuals shield themselves against burnouts and greater camaraderie. In a new partner post in ACU's Allying for Health Equity blog, Michele Simos, Chief Learning Officer at SMART Conversations®, details easy strategies to practice gratitude and foster psychological safety. Read the post and learn more about ACU's partnership with SMART Conversations®.

Welcoming ACU's Latest Staff Member: Tanya Philip, Training Specialist

ACU would like to welcome Tanya Philip to our team. As a Training Specialist, Tanya supports the development of stakeholder engagement activities, trainings, and educational materials as part of the National Health Workforce Training & Technical Assistance Institute, helps to enhance workforce recruitment and retention at community-based training sites, and more.

Join ACU as Our Training Specialist or Program Manager

ACU is excited to continue adding to our team! We're seeking a Training Specialist to join our STAR² Center. 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 now for or share this and other ACU job opportunities with colleagues:

Apply to Join ACU's Membership Committee by Jan. 31

Are you interested in growing your career and professional contacts while helping to enhance ACU's membership network? If so, we invite you to apply to join our Membership Committee! Committee members must be individual ACU members or serve at an ACU member organization, and be willing to join virtual Committee meetings held quarterly in the evening. Tell us about yourself and why you're interested in joining the Committee by Wednesday, Jan. 31. We especially encourage students to apply!

Observing Maternal Health Awareness Day

Black and Indigenous women experience maternal mortality rates of two to three times higher than white women. Additionally, over one-third of U.S. counties are considered maternity care deserts, and the issue is particularly pronounced in rural areas. Join us in continuing our observance of Maternal Health Awareness Day by sharing resources and learning more about this public health crisis.

New from ACU's Career Center: Assistant Professor - Physician at OHSU 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 Assistant Professor - Physician position with Oregon Health & Science University in Hillsboro, OR, as well as:

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