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
September 9, 2013 by
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...]
August Policy Update: Student Loans and a Money Mess
August 6, 2013 by
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
July 19, 2013 by
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
July 18, 2013 by
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
July 8, 2013 by
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
July 8, 2013 by
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...]
College Loans and Congress: Why you should care
July 2, 2013 by
On July 1st, the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans doubled, from 3.4% to 6.8%. Without quick corrective action from Congress, this will significantly raise the interest rate on loans for as many as five million college students. But what are Stafford Loans? And why should clinicians care? What are Stafford Loans? Stafford loans are a critical part of the financial aid offered by the federal government to college students. There are two kinds of Stafford loans: Subsidized … [Read more...]
Violence in America: The Wider Conversation
May 1, 2013 by
Violence in America: The Wider Conversation By Eugene Steuerle In the aftermath of Newtown and, by one estimate, 25 mass shootings since 2006, the country is engaged in an intense fight over assault-like weapons and the right of Americans to carry them. While I consider it downright stupid and outright dangerous to allow people to buy, sell, and carry around the equivalent of small machine guns—imagine how safe you would feel if all your loony neighbors touted one around—I wish we were … [Read more...]
Clinicians Can Affect Change on Gun Violence
April 5, 2013 by
Dr. Ricky Choi says that hearing and being a part of his patients’ powerful stores has moved him to speak out gun violence. In this interview he reflects on the power of storytelling and how he uses social media, particularly Twitter and blogs, to be heard. “Clinicians under recognize the amount of influence and power that they have,” said Choi, “whether it be on the individual patient level or engaging city councilman, local legislators, state and even at the national level; we have the … [Read more...]
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