December 7, 2024

ACU Statement on Health Heroes 2020 Act

ACU Statement on Senator Durbin and Representative Schakowsky Health Heroes 2020 Act (Washington DC, April 24, 2020) -- Today, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) proposed a new plan to increase the nation’s health care workforce and address the overwhelming need of millions of people living in communities with severe workforce shortages. Senator Durbin and Representative Schakowsky’s proposal includes emergency surge funding to place health care … [Read more...]

Additional Resources for Suicide Prevention

Routine Screenings and Assessment in Primary Care: Step 1: Establish a training plan to support all staff in adopting suicide safe communication strategies. Step 2: Identify comprehensive screening tools like the PHQ-9 and C-SSRS. Step 3: Establish a policy to screen all patients over the age of 12 using a standardized screening tool. Step 4: Establish protocol for responding to positive depression screens and/or answers of “yes” to question 9 on the PHQ-9. Step 5: If possible, update your … [Read more...]

ACU Member Dean Germano Testifies Before House on Behalf of NHSC

Mr. Dean Germano Washington DC – The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on June 4th of this year during which they examined the importance of investing in a number of health care service programs. The hearing featured testimony from the CEO of Shasta Community Health Center Dean Germano, who urged Congress to reauthorize and expand the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Program, the Community Health Centers (CHC) Program, and the Teaching Health … [Read more...]

2018 Award Recipients

ACU's 2018 Award Recipients  Clinician of the Year Our 2018 Clinician of the year is Amanda Brooks, LCSW, CADC! ACU is proud to recognize her years of dedicated service at PCC Community Wellness Center providing integrated behavioral health services to underserved populations. Ms. Brooks has brought a unique behavioral health perspective to her new role as the Chief Population Health Officer for PCC, an organization that provides essential care to West Chicago at eleven sites. Since … [Read more...]

ACU and the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare Partner to Improve Access to Vision Care in Underserved Communities

McLean, VA – The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is pleased to announce it has received a three-year grant from the Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare to expand access to vision care in underserved communities. The grant will support a multi-pronged project that includes:  (1) the creation of readiness assessment and cost calculator tools to assist safety net facilities in becoming prepared for vision service delivery; (2) the development of evidence-based practice … [Read more...]

ACU Statement on Upcoming House Vote to Extend Funding for the NHSC

November 3 - On Thursday, November 2, the House of Representatives will vote on legislation that will reauthorize funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), Community Health Centers (CHCs), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and several other health care programs. Funding for these programs expired on October 1, 2017. The CHAMPION Act (HR 3922) would reauthorize funding for the NHSC and CHCs for two years at the same level as FY17. The HEALTHY KIDS Act (HR 3921) would … [Read more...]

ACU Board Member Dr. Adrian Billings Testifies Before Congress

Last week, the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing examining several public health workforce programs, including the National Health Service Corps. ACU Board Member and NHSC alumnus, Dr. Adrian Billings testified before the committee sharing the personal impact the NHSC has made in his life and the lives of the patients he serves in rural West Texas. Dr. Billings highlighted the urgency of reauthorizing funding for the NHSC and urged Congress to act immediately, … [Read more...]

ACU is Awarded AmeriCorps National Planning Grant

June 12 - The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) has received $74,266 in AmeriCorps funding in the form of an Evidence Based Intervention Planning Grant from the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS), a public-private partnership and the nation's largest grant-maker supporting service and volunteering. The purpose of an AmeriCorps Planning Grant is to support the development of service programs so applicants are better prepared to compete for an AmeriCorps program … [Read more...]

ACU 2017 Webinar Series

Introducing ACU’s 2017 Webinar Series: Excellence in Team-Based Care For the Underserved ACU will host four free webinars featuring nationally recognized clinicians, educators, leaders, and policy makers working to improve access to care for our underserved communities. Back by popular demand! This series features some of the most popular sessions from ACU’s 2016 Conference.You can take this chance to learn from an expert you may have missed at our conference, or share with your colleagues … [Read more...]

Asthma

ACU belongs to the EPA's AsthmaCommunityNetwork.org, an interactive online community designed for asthma champions to share, learn, and connect with peers to advance asthma care. Join this national network of community-based programs and access cutting-edge tools, the latest strategies and hundreds resources in asthma care and management. Schedule a Training ACU offers training for primary care providers and community workers on Building an Asthma Care Home: Engaging Clinicians, Patients and … [Read more...]