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ACU Celebrates 15 Years 
ACU was founded in 1996 by National Health Service Corps alumni who wanted to continue to support each other and share knowledge, resources and expertise about practicing in underserved communities. ACU celebrates the work of all who are working to improve health equity and access to care.
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ACU Career Center 
Summer won't last forever and neither will our Career Center Sale. Employers, take 20 percent off every job posting with the ACU career center. Use promo code ACUSUMMER. |
Featured Jobs Psychiatrist, board certified, FT and PT, in NYC Nurse practitioner for multi-disciplinary team in York, PA
Family physician, outpatient only, south central PA |
JHCPU
Online access to the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved is an ACU member benefit. Click the image to learn more about JHCPU.
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ACU Celebrates Health Centers 
Click the image to learn how you can join the celebration.
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Our Sponsors
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Free asthma continuing education
 ACU's EPA-funded project "Building an Asthma Care Home: Engaging Clinicians, Patients and Caregivers in Comprehensive Asthma Management" is offering two state-wide webinars, focusing on the role of the Patient-Centered Medical Home model of providing culturally and linguistically competent asthma trigger management. Participants will learn about the NHLBI Guidelines for the Management and Treatment of Asthma and how to utilize the electronic health record, community health workers and a team approach for improved asthma outcomes.
Thurs., Sept. 8, 12 - 1:30 PM MT in partnership with the Association of Utah Community Health Centers. Register here. The goal of this training is to give clinicians the skills they need to decrease emergency department visits and increase the number of asthma symptom-free days for residents of Utah.
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 12 - 1:30 PM HST in partnership with the Hawaii Primary Care Association. Register here. ACU staff and Oreta Tupola, MSW of the Ko'olauloa Community Health & Wellness Center in Kahuku, HI will present.
If you are Interested in partnering with ACU to offer this continuing education course to your members or staff, contact Lois Wessel, lwessel@clinicians.org. The training is free and both CE and CME credits are available.
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Smiles all around for dental sealants
 | | Hudson River HealthCare/Peekskill Elementary School Dental Sealant Program |
ACU salutes Hudson River Health Care on the 25th anniversary of their school-based sealant program. To learn more about school-based programs, the National Network for Oral Health Access has an archived webinar.
ACU members, do you have a video you would like to share? Send a link to acu@clinicians.org.
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New member welcome
 ACU welcomes the Reproductive Health Access Project(RHAP) as a new organizational member. Based in New York, RHAP seeks to ensure that women and teens at every socioeconomic level have access to reproductive health care. Through training, advocacy and mentoring programs, RHAP helps clinicians make comprehensive family planning services. a part of routine medical care.
Visit the RHAP website for clinical resources and patient education materials, including a list of Pharmacies with Low-Cost Birth Control Pills. Or sign up for Contraceptive Pearls, a monthly email publication that highlights a clinical best practice designed to improve or expand access to contraception.
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Spotlight on an ACU Charter Member
 ACU charter member and past president Carl Toney has been working to break down barriers his entire life. When he returned from patching wounded warriors in Vietnam, there weren't many career opportunities for military corpsmen, so Toney trained as a Physician Assistant (PA). During a career that has included both clinical practice and teaching, Toney became frustrated at his inability to affect the larger health care system. He took time off to complete a yearlong Primary Care Health Policy Fellowship in Washington, DC, and has been working for system change ever since.
ACU's transdisciplinary philosophy is what first attracted Toney to the organization. In 1996, ACU was one of the only voices in this country talking about an inclusive care model. "People come to ACU because of the mission, but also because we are trying to work together as a team," Toney said. "This model and the philosophy of inclusivity is critical if we are going to controlthe quality of health care." Toney recently retired as the Director of the Center for Transcultural Health at the University of New England, which focuses on eliminating health disparities in Maine. He continues to serve on HRSA's Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages. In 2002, he was inducted into the Duke University PA Program's Hall of Fame. |
Promoting healthy choices
 All year long, ACU is highlighting resources that support the message in our 2011 wall calendar, "Healthy Choices for Active Living." This month we are delighted to recommend these free, beautifully designed wall posters on eating and nutrition that you can download for yourself, place in an exam room or office, or print and hand out to patients. Topics include understanding nutrition labels, eating out, tips for eating healthy at work, packing healthy snacks, and more!
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Conferences and E-Learning
Aug. 9, 1:00 PM EDT, a free webinar on the Patient Centered Medical Home: Adaptations for Migrant Farmworkers and Other Mobile Poor presented by the Migrant Clinicians Network. CME pending. Register online.
Aug 10, 2 pm EDT, Patient-Centered Medical Home: A Case Study on Achieving Level 3 Recognition, presented by ACU President Kathy Brieger, VP for Quality Services, Hudson River Health Care, and facilitated by Anna Gard, ACU Health Disparities Consultant. Learn about NCQA recognition process and how Hudson River Health Care achieved Level 3 Recognition. Free, register online.
Aug. 18, 1:30 - 3 pm ET, Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs: Understanding Meaningful Use, a national provider call sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Free, registration is required.
Sept. 9, Pain Awareness Month Symposium: From Research to Clinical Practice in Rockville, MD, sponsored by the Pain Connection. Register online.
Sept. 22 - 23, Plain Talk in Complex Times, sponsored by the Center for Health Literacy and the American Public Health Association will be held in Arlington, VA. Lois Wessel, ACU associate director for programs, will discuss communicating effectively with clients with limited literacy.
Oct. 5 - 7, Improving Health ~ Eliminating Disparities In an Age of Healthcare Reform, in Washington, DC, sponsored by Communities Joined in Action. ACU's Lois Wessel will speak about Establishing an Asthma-Care Home, among others. Register online.
On Demand. Enhancing Medication Safety for Patients with Limited English Proficiency, a course for pharmacists and pharmacy techs, was developed by the New York University Center for Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities and the American Pharmacists Association. Click the link and scroll down to the course title. Free.
On Demand. Pediatric Environmental Health CME Course and Research Study, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati Department of Environmental Health. At the end of the course, participants will be able to discuss concepts of environmental health, describe health effects associated with environmental toxicants, and incorporate elements of an environmental history into practice. Free.
Nov. 10-12, the 21st annual Midwest Stream Farmworker Health Forum, Albuquerque, NM, sponsored by the National Center for Farmworker Health.
Dec. 13, the National Committee for Quality Assurance holds its 6th annual National Policy Conference on Exchanges: Driving a Value Agenda at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC. Register here.
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Are you an expert?
 ACU is frequently asked to suggest speakers for conferences, workshops and webinars. We want to expand our database of subject matter experts from every discipline on a wide array of topics -- from pediatrics to geriatrics -- of interest to clinicians caring for the underserved. Take a moment to share your name or that of someone whom you look up to. Please respond using our easy online reply form.
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Alcohol and depression screening
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have proposed adding alcohol screening and behavioral counseling and screening for depression to the comprehensive package of preventive services now covered by Medicare. Under the proposals, Medicare would cover an annual alcohol misuse screening by a beneficiary's primary care provider and four behavioral counseling sessions per year if a beneficiary screens positive for alcohol misuse. Medicare would also cover an annual screening for depression in primary care settings that offer staff-assisted depression care, so beneficiaries can receive an accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and follow-up.
Public comments are invited the proposed decisions for 30 days; CMS will issue final coverage decisions later this year. Use the links above to review the proposals. You can also comment online.
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HIV primary care HealthHIV is conducting an annual State of HIV Primary Care Survey. This brief survey examines the state of HIV care from the perspective of HIV specialists, primary care providers, and other professionals delivering services to people living with HIV. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and the information gleaned will be used to help identify obstacles and opportunities in primary care for prevention and treatment of HIV. |
Health IT week
 The sixth annual National Health IT Week will be held September 12-16, in Washington, DC, to educate industry and policy stakeholders on the value of health IT for the US healthcare system. There is no cost to become a partner and help raise awareness. Learn more here, including 10 tips for celebrating Health IT week in your hometown.
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Scholarships and Fellowships
For a more complete list of scholarships and fellowship opportunities, visit the ACU website.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy Researchprogram develops and supports a new generation of creative health policy thinkers and researchers within the disciplines of economics, political science and sociology. Each year the program selects up to nine highly qualified individuals for two-year fellowships at one of three nationally prominent universities with the expectation that they will make important research contributions to future U.S. health policy. More details and how to apply. Deadline Oct. 12.
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In search of NHSC alums
Many ACU members have served in the National Health Service Corps. The Corps is seeking to update its records. If you email AlumniUpdate@nhscevents.com,you will receive a secure link so you can login and update your basic contact information online. NHSC will use this information to provide periodic updates about the Corps and conferences and trainings that you may find valuable. Please note that NHSC will not distribute any of your contact information.
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