It's In the Mail
The 2010 ACU health promotion calendar, which focuses on year-round health practices, has been mailed to all members, thanks to a generous contribution from ACU sponsor member sanofi-aventis.
Non-members may purchase this attractive wall calendar, suitable for use in offices, exam rooms and waiting areas. For information, please e-mail Kathie Westpheling.
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Online Now
Two new issues of JHCPU are now available online: the regular
November 2009 issue and a second issue sponsored by the WK Kellogg Foundation.
Themes of the regular issue are: Race/Ethnicity
and HIV/AIDS, Primary Care, and Health Policy.
The Kellogg-sponsored supplement examines the social determinants
of children's health around the world. View the table of contents for the regular issue and the supplement online.
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Time-saving Technology Now More Affordable
Special ACU-Member Offer You can introduce point-of-care lipid and glucose screenings in your clinic and receive a free CardioCheck PA instrument at no charge - a $650 value - plus a 20% discount on supplies. Click here for more information, or e-mail Jim Marckstein.
Have you used using point-of-care
testing? Please share your experience with Kathie Westpheling and consider
participating on a 2010 ACU task force that will look at use of this technology in
underserved communities. To learn more about point-of care testing, visit ACU online. |
ACU executive director Kathie Westpheling (left), board members Peter Sherman and Bonnie Hillsberg, and ACU policy intern Christine Dang-Vu pause outside the U.S. Capitol during a day of congressional visits in which they promoted ACU's agenda on health care reform and building the primary care workforce.
Health Care Reform Action Shifts to Senate
Last month, the House passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health
Care for H.R.America Act. The Senate continues to debate H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. ACU urges its members use this link to
contact your representatives and voice your opinion at this critical time.
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Members Encouraged to Tap ACU-KP Scholarship Funds
Kaiser
Permanente has committed $10,000 in 2010 for ACU members
to participate in professional development programs, conferences and seminars
sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The funding covers
registration fees but not travel expense. More
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New Board Member Adds Mental Health Expertise
 Virna Little, a psychologist
and licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience working in
providing behavioral health services in a variety of settings, recently joined ACU's
10-member board of directors. Little currently serves as senior vice president
for psychosocial services and community affairs at the Institute for Family
Health. More
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ACU Launches Health Literacy Training Program
Loudoun County Community Health Center to Host Pilot
ACU will launch a new training program designed to teach
health clinic staff how to incorporate best practices in health
literacy, language access and cultural competency in caring for the
underserved. The pilot program will be held in January, 2010 at Loudoun
County Community Health Center, a federally qualified health care
center in Leesburg, Va., serving those with limited or no insurance. More
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The Primary Care Crisis and Health Care Reform
 Peter Sherman, M.D., ACU President, responded to questions about his recent
article in the Journal of Health Care for
the Poor and Underserved. Use this link to read the full interview.
Q. Your article documents shortages among primary care physicians, nurses,
mental and oral health care practitioners and pharmacists. What aspects of
health care reform are most promising in terms of helping overcome these
shortages?
The House bill includes several provisions to
strengthen the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). It would increase funding,
create a part-time service option for half of the reward amount, and increase
full-time awards from $35,000 to $50,000. More
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A Health IT Blog We Like
Health IT Buzz is a new blog about health information
technology (health IT). Why do we like it? Anna Gard, RNFP, ACU's consultant on
health IT issues says, "The best part of the blog is
that it presents a vast and varied field of respondents from small rural
practices, to FQHC's to health care consultants and educators."
ACU readers
just may find their own concerns described in these discussions as well as have an
opportunity to share their particular experience/questions/concerns with blog
participants. Click here to read it online.
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Do
You Understand 'Meaningful Use'?
In
order to qualify for federal financial support for investments in health IT,
clinics must make "meaningful use" of
the technology. Learn about how this
term could affect you in the future in a one page summary by ACU's health IT
consultant, Anna Gard, RN, CFNP.
Health IT Success Stories Others have done it, so can you! Learn how organizations like the Columbia Basin Health Association are using information technology to improve the efficiency and quality of
care in rural communities. Read their story and discover useful resources on ACU's Health IT page. |
Fellowship Opportunities
The Georgetown University Department of Family Medicine offers two post-doctoral fellowships: Primary Care Health
Policy and Community Health Center Director Development. Both focus on
developing leaders in advocating and caring for the underserved. More
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Conferences and E-Learning
Jan. 21, RxAssist webinar "Medication
Safety for Vulnerable Populations," 12 - 1 pm ET. To register, visit the
RxAssist learning center. March 26-28, Special Care Dentistry
Association 2010 Annual Meeting "Special Needs in Challenging Times:
Clinically-focused Education to Treat the Patient with Complex Needs," in
Chicago. Register by Feb. 3 for discounted rates. More
Feb. 23, "Cultivating
Traditions of Wellness: Building Sustainable Health Care Homes," hosted by the Assoc. of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) in Washington, D.C. A
limited number of scholarships are available. Scholarship deadline: Dec. 18,
2009. More
Ongoing. The Clinical Directors Network (CDN),
a nonprofit organization of current and future community/migrant health
center clinical leaders, provides online learning and training via
webcasts - live presentations over the Internet, with both audio and
visual components. Visit CDN's extensive library of archived presentations or sign up to be notified of future online learning opportunities.
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Medicare Open
Enrollment
Millions of people covered by Medicare have until Dec. 31 to
review their current Medicare plans and compare them with other options
available next year. It is also the time to add a Medicare drug plan for those
who need prescription drug coverage in 2010.
To assist someone with these decisions, visit www.medicare.gov for interactive tools that
will tell you about the prescription drug and health plans available in your
area, coverage and premium costs, and quality and performance ratings.
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