March 28, 2024

What a Government Shutdown Means to Health Programs

By Craig A. Kennedy, MPH By now you’ve heard or read enough news to know that a government shutdown is very possible come October 1st, but what does it mean to health care delivery?  Well, as you would expect, it means different things to different programs. Let’s start with the definition of a “government shutdown.”  The federal government’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, so by October 1st of each year Congress must pass and the President must sign appropriations bills to … [Read more...]

ACU Partners with HIPAA HITECH EXPRESS

NEWS RELEASE September 18, 2013 For more information: Robert Zimmerman (302) 604-8849, email rzimmerman@qipsolutions.com HIT Week Update:  ACU Partners with HIPAA HITECH EXPRESS on Solution for Safety Net Providers Healthcare providers are one lost-or-stolen laptop, tablet or smartphone away from a data-theft nightmare while facing increasingly stringent federal regulations that require health data security. The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) has partnered with QIP … [Read more...]

IT Resources for Safety Net Providers

ACU and HIMSS are collaborating to promote Health IT resources and workforce-training opportunities available to support medically underserved communities as part of National Health IT Week, which begins today and goes through September 20. In the joint fact sheet on Health IT Resources for Safety Net and Rural Health Care Communities (PDF) being released today, ACU and HIMSS have identified available resources to help safety net providers overcome the unique challenges they face, including … [Read more...]

ACU Kicks off Campaign to Save the National Health Service Corps

Washington D.C. ­– Today the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) launched a new campaign aimed at saving and preserving the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program. ACU was established in 1996 by participants and alumni of the NHSC, and in the 17 years since has consistently worked to enhance access to care in underserved communities. The NHSC, created in 1972, has worked to build healthy communities by placing dedicated health care professionals in underserved areas of … [Read more...]

Health IT and Privacy

Raise Your Health Care Organization’s Security and Privacy Awareness… It’s the Law By Anna Gard, MSN, FNP-BC, ACU Health IT and Quality Consultant Summary: Is your organization taking measures to protect patient privacy as you adopt digital and mobile health technologies? Safety-net health care organizations experience greater vulnerabilities and higher risks for privacy and security breaches than other health organizations, most often because the risks are under-appreciated. Learn the 5 … [Read more...]

August Policy Update: Student Loans and a Money Mess

August Recess Sees Student Loan Issue Resolved, FY14 Appropriations Mess Washington DC – This week Congress starts its annual August District Work Period, which means they won’t be back in town until September 9th.  With the current fiscal year ending September 30th, Congress is currently scheduled to be in session only 9 days in September.  Recognizing this, House and Senate leaders were trying to move as many of the 12 annual appropriations bills as possible.  However, the House was only able … [Read more...]

National Health Service Corps Funding Update

Senate Committee Passes Labor, HHS Funding Measure Late last week the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its funding proposal for Fiscal Year 2014 by a party-line vote of 16-14.  The bill funds all discretionary programs in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments as well as a number of other critical domestic programs. However, the Senate Committee did not provide any new funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Indeed the bill is almost silent on … [Read more...]

Student Loan Update

Senators Reach a Tentative Deal to Lower Interest Rates Low Today a bi-partisan group of Senators reached a deal that would lower the interest rates on college loans, change how the loan rate is determined, and introduce a cap on further increases. On July 1st the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4% to 6.8%, months after unsubsidized Stafford loans had also risen to 6.8% (see our previous update to learn more about the different types of loans). The agreement, … [Read more...]

ACU Partners in National Health IT Week 2013

This September, ACU will partner to advance health information technology to help improve healthcare with approximately 200 public and private sector organizations to participating in the 8th Annual National Health IT Week (September 16-20, 2013).  National Health IT Week 2013 is the premier event offering all healthcare stakeholders an opportunity to unite under one banner, expressing the benefits that health information technology (IT) brings to U.S. healthcare. “One Voice, One … [Read more...]

Community Health Centers’ Role in Family Planning

  Lisa Maldonado, co-author of Community Health Centers’ Role in Family Planning [PDF], discusses her ACU Column, published in the May 2013 issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. Maldonado serves as Executive Director of the Reproductive Health Access Project while her co-authors Ruth Lesnewski and Linda Prine are both affiliated with the Institute for Family Health and the Reproductive Health Access Project. Q. What are the lessons that you want other … [Read more...]