March 29, 2024

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...]

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...]

What Families Can Do about Asthma

Spanish Podcast for Families on Asthma Management As part of Asthma Awareness Month 2013, ACU's Associate Director for Programs, Lois Wessel, FNP  participated in a variety of Spanish language radio shows.  Here's a clip from an Univision radio show called "El Consultorio de la Dra. Aliza" in which Lois is interviewed about what families can do to manage their asthma. Note: Available in Spanish only.     … [Read more...]

Apply for a HIMSS Davies Award

Is your organization making strides in using health information technology (IT)  to improve patient care and outcomes? Consider apply for either the HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award (formerly Organization) or the HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award. Both the awards and the application process have evolved. The application process is now based on submission of written case studies and applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Get details and information on how to apply, why apply … [Read more...]

Resources for Caring for Farm Workers

By: Giulia Earle-Richardson, Write Resources, gwrite@stny.rr.com The Farmworker Clinical Care Resource for Occupational Health is a searchable website including hundreds of links to a range of free online resources for migrant health care providers, nurses and educators. It was developed by The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) Most clinicians visit the site to access patient education materials, available in printer-friendly versions on the site or via … [Read more...]

Podcast on Asthma and Health Information Technology

Anna Gard, Health IT and Quality Consultant, Association for Clinicians for the Underserved Introduces the Role of Health IT in Managing Asthma There is constant development of patient-centric tools to support asthma self-management and promote engagement with clinicians, patients and families to assist in identifying, reporting their asthma triggers, monitoring their asthma status, supporting self-care and management strategies. Some of these tools and technologies really help (A) engage … [Read more...]

New Resource to Help Patient Quit Tobacco

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline is a free nationwide Asian-language quit smoking service operated by the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego. The Quitline offers self-help materials, referral to local programs, one-on-one telephone counseling to quit smoking, and a free two-week starter kit of nicotine patches. Access in-language services using these numbers: Chinese: 1-800-838-8917 Korean: 1-800-556-5564 Vietnamese: 1-800-778-8440 … [Read more...]

Kathie Westpheling to Retire

ACU will soon bid adieu to Kathie Westpheling, MPH, who has served as executive director since 2002. She is a passionate advocate for the underserved, transdisciplinary care, health professions education, and health information technology. Kathie began her career at ACU in 1996 as the project director for the NHSC 25th Anniversary Initiative. She oversaw the relocation of the organization from its headquarters in Lexington, KY, to its current home in the Washington, DC area. Under her … [Read more...]

New Funding Platform for Health Projects

Crowdsourcing Platform Addresses Health Disparities. Clinicians with great ideas for community health programs have a new source to look to for small grants to get them off the ground. ACU member Dr. Rishi Manchanda, a co-founder of HBFunder (http://www.hbfunder.org/) says, “Like many frontline providers, we have seen how hard it can be to get funding for small projects that can have a big impact on social determinants of health and healthcare for vulnerable populations.” HBFunder connects … [Read more...]