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...]
COVID-19 Advocacy & Stimulus Package/CARES Act
The week of March 9th ACU began aggressively working to inform Congress and their staff about the needs of clinicians caring for the underserved and critical support needed for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Specifically, ACU advocated for: immediate access and priority distribution of PPEs, N95s and sanitation materials for clinicians working in underserved communities, flexibility and adequate reimbursement related to telehealth, flexibility for NHSC providers relative to interstate … [Read more...]
ACU Opposes Public Charge Rule
Rule Will Undermine Health Care for Underserved Populations Washington DC – The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved’s (ACU) core mission is to improve the health of people living in underserved communities, and to support those clinicians who serve them. As such, ACU strongly opposes the “public charge” rule published earlier this week by the Department of Homeland Security. The rule will force families to choose between accepting Medicaid benefits, which … [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...]
ACU Member Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee
(from left to right) Thomas Trumpeter, CEO and President of HealthPoint in Renton, Washington, Dr. Andrea Anderson, Director of Family Medicine at Unity Health Care, Inc. in Washington, DC, and Dr. John Waits, Chief Executive Officer of Cahaba Medical Care in Centreville, Alabama. Last year funding for programs such as the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) were temporarily unavailable because the two year extension expired without a resolution. To ensure that we do not have that same … [Read more...]
ACU Opposes “Public Charge” Rule Change
UPDATE: December 10, 2018 - The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) has been very outspoken about the proposed "public charge" changes. ACU has also partnered with other organizations in hopes that a strong voice may convince leadership to understand the public health ramifications of the proposed changes. Here are multiple letters that ACU has signed opposing the public charge changes. Partnership for Medicaid - Public Charge CALC- Public Charge Proposed Change is Unjust … [Read more...]
Safety Net Groups Send Letter to Congress on “Extenders Package”
November 13, 2017 - Six weeks have passed since funding expired for some of the nation’s most critical safety net health care programs. In the latest effort to compel Congress to act, and to do so immediately, ACU joined seven national health care organizations in authoring a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership explaining the impact felt by this gap in funding. “Every day that Congress waits to pass funding for these critical programs, more and more communities are hurt,” said ACU … [Read more...]
ACU Supports Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize Funding for the National Health Service Corps
McLean, VA - The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) applauds the introduction in the House of Representatives of the bipartisan bill H.R. 3862, the National Health Service Corps Strengthening Act of 2017. The legislation was introduced by Representatives G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Chris Stewart (R-UT). The bill aims to reauthorize funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and provide modest increases for the program over the next 5 years. “ACU appreciates the … [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 Board Member To Testify Before Congress
On Thursday, September 14, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to review public health workforce programs. The hearing, titled, “Supporting Tomorrow’s Health Providers: Examining Workforce Programs under the Public Health Service Act,” will include a panel of witnesses to testify on behalf of a number of programs in need of reauthorization, including the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). ACU Board Member, Adrian Billings, MD has been invited to testify … [Read more...]
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