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FEATURE STORY
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ACU To Recognize Clinical Heroes 
ACU is seeking nominees for its Clinical Heroes of the Year Awards to be presented at the ACU 2014 Annual Meeting and Health IT Forum, June 25-27, in Alexandria, VA. Four winners will be selected; they will also have their story published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. The award is open to any clinician who provides care and services to underserved communities. We want to recognize those individuals whose tireless efforts have made a difference. The nomination form is available here.
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Congressional Budget Deal Reached
The Budget Deal announced last month does reduce a large portion of the cuts that were scheduled due to the automatic sequester, but some programs (like the NHSC) are funded through a trust fund (albeit one that ends after 5 years in October 2015). Unfortunately, the Budget Deal will not change the sequester's impact on those programs. The NHSC will be cut by 5% next year despite this most recent Budget Deal. Read more on this in our recent ACU blog post.
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Call for Nominations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a call for nominations for the 2014 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management. Health plans, health care providers and communities in action working to improve the lives of those with asthma by addressing environmental triggers are eligible for these prestigious awards. Lean more here. The application deadline is Feb. 3.
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Clinical News & Resources
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Meaningful Use Deadlines Extended
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the deadline for doctors and hospitals to meet standards for use of electronic health records (EHRs). Health care providers will have until the end of 2016 to meet stage two criteria for making meaningful use of electronic records. This pushes the stage three start date for the earliest adopters of EHRs back one year to 2017.
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Reducing Indoor Asthma Triggers
Seven Steps to Reduce Indoor Asthma Triggers, a new ACU blog post by guest author Joanne Pérodin, MPH, Program Manager, Children's Environmental Health Network, provides a handy reference list of topics every clinician should discuss with families of children with asthma. It complements ACU's work on asthma trigger reduction; see the ACU Comprehensive Asthma Resource List and more on the ACU website.
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Goodbye Together Rx Access
Together Rx Access, a program that provides savings on prescription drugs to those without insurance coverage, has announced that it is ending on February 28. Cardholders may continue to use their cards until this date. According to the website, the sponsors believe that beneficiaries may be better served by options available through the Health Insurance Marketplace, expanded Medicaid programs in some states, or by individual company prescription assistance programs.
Ongoing patient assistance programs include the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, NeedyMeds, and RxOutreach. For more information on medication access and more, visit the ACU website,
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New Hypertension Guidelines
New evidence-based guidelines for the management of high blood pressure in adults were released in December by the Eighth Join National Committee (JNC 8). Read the report published in JAMA, and view a table comparing the recommendations with JNC 7 guidelines.
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Lung Cancer Screening
The US Preventive Services Task Force released a final Recommendation Statement on screening for lung cancer. A fact sheet that explains the final recommendation in plain language is also available.
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Million Hearts Campaign Now in Spanish
The Million Hearts Campaign, which aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017, now offers a Spanish language website with resources to help Spanish-speaking individuals get the resources they need to improve their heart health.
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Kirsten Thomsen, PA Joins ACU Board 
Kirsten Thomsen, a physician's assistant who serves on the faculty of the University of New England in Portland, Maine, has joined the ACU Board of Directors. She previously served on the faculty of George Washington University and the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Kirsten is active on the local, state and national levels with healthcare and policy issues, as well as with professional PA organizations.
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Second Membership Raffle Winner Announced
Congratulations to Sheila Collier of Ozark Center in Joplin, MO. She is the lucky winner of a $200.00 Visa gift card, compliments of ACU. Her name was selected at random from the list of members who have joined or renewed their membership prior to January 1. If you have not yet renewed, please be sure to go online and renew TODAY!.
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Members-Only Conference Scholarships
ACU members, take advantage of a complimentary registration to one of two upcoming meetings designed to enhance your knowledge and skills.
Apply for one of two complimentary registrations for the HIMSS14 Annual Conference & Exhibition, Feb. 23-27, in Orlando, Fla. Immerse yourself in all things health IT and gain a better understanding of new technologies, mandates and requirements. To apply for a complimentary registration, send an email to Craig Kennedy with your full name, contact information, and a brief statement about why you want to attend HIMSS14. The application deadline is January 28. Those selected will be notified by January 31.
ACU's Anna Gard will present a roundtable discussion on Privacy and Security Vulnerabilities and Opportunities in High Risk Populations (session 302), at HIMSS14, Monday February 24, at 1pm. This roundtable will explore HIPAA security and privacy vulnerabilities in small-medium sized practices, including safety-net medical and behavioral health practices, FQHCs and Medicaid MCOs serving vulnerable patient populations. See the full program at a glance here.
With support from Kaiser Permanente, ACU is also offering scholarships for the 15th Annual International Summit on Improving Patient Care in the Office Practice and Community, March 9-11 in Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the summit will include 12 half-day mini-courses, 30 general workshops, 11 extended Learning Labs, an exhibit gallery and more. Visit the ACU website for the scholarship application. The application deadline for this meeting is January 31; individuals selected will be notified by February 7.
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Apply Now for NHSC Loan Repayment
The National Health Service Corps loan repayment program is accepting applications from primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers who are employed or seeking employment at approved sites. The program is highly competitive and applicants are encouraged to begin the process early. Learn more here. |
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Employers: purchase a job posting in January and get a free upgrade that will double the number of times your listing is seen. Get details here.
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ACU Career Center
Search more than 1,900 healthcare jobs posted in the ACU Career Center, including these:
There are many opportunities for primary care physicians in Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, and more. Search the ACU Career Center today.
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This is a partial listing of upcoming conferences and webinars. For a more complete list, visit the ACU website.
Feb. 23-27, HIMSS14 Annual Conference and Exhibitionin Orlando, Fla.Join more than 30,000 healthcare IT professionals and get access to 300+ education sessions, exhibit hall and networking events. Advance registration discount through Jan. 27; ACU has two complimentary registrations available. See details in this newsletter on how to apply.
March 9-11, 15th Annual International Summit on Improving Patient Care in the Office Practice and Community, sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in Washington, DC. ACU-KP scholarships are available for ACU members to cover registration costs. See details here.
The RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America presents will announce its recommendations during a live, online event on January 13, 2:30 p.m. ET. Free, registration required. Learn more here.
Health literacy Update. Health Literacy Innovations recently hosted a webinar on results of the PIACC (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies), a large-scale international study of adult literacy, numeracy and problem solving and the association between skill levels in these areas and health. Listen to the 50-minute recorded webinar online. You will be asked to provide a user name and password.
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