The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is pleased to collaborate with SMART Conversations® in a new partnership to help health centers improve their organizational effectiveness, boost financial solvency, and inspire workforce excellence. ACU will be offering SMART Conversation’s® principle-based, facilitated trainings in communication and leadership development, as well as organizational culture and effectiveness. The initiative will help CHCs better drive health equity for underserved communities.
“Health centers are committed to addressing health inequities, but they cannot do so without cohesive, effective teams to which supportive leadership and cultural excellence is tantamount,” said Amanda Pears Kelly, ACU Executive Director. “ACU works tirelessly to help CHCs foster a stronger workforce and create more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive environments, and we’re elated to partner with an organization like SMART Conversations® which shares those same aims. Effective services for patients depend on effective communication among staff, and SMART Conversations® trainings help CHCs achieve just that.”
Through the new strategic partnership, ACU’s national network of health centers will gain access to a host of engaging, affordable, and accessible trainings to boost their organizational effectiveness. Grounded in Shared Meaning, Authenticity, Respect, and Trust (SMART), SMART Conversations® helps CHCs better achieve their common mission by improving their teams’ communication and by creating psychologically safe environments that allow clinicians and staff to provide the best possible services to patients.
“We are thrilled to partner with ACU to bring our SMART Conversations® learning platform to their members,” said Paul Weisman, SMART Conversations® Founder and CEO. “This platform will enable us to deliver high-quality training that aligns with the evolving needs of community health centers. Our partnership with ACU will provide valuable professional development opportunities that will enhance the skills and knowledge of its members and network, helping them to achieve their organizational goals. We look forward to working with ACU to provide valuable training experiences that will benefit its members.”
SMART Conversations® training program for CHCs offers fully self-paced options, as well as on-site workshops and follow-on coaching. Train-the-trainer certifications are also available. Topic areas include communications, leadership and team development, integrating remote and hybrid teams, and more—complementing ACU’s ongoing efforts in its Solutions, Training, and Assistance for Recruitment and Retention (STAR2) Center.
About ACU
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is a uniquely transdisciplinary membership association uniting clinicians, advocates, and organizations in the commitment to establishing a robust and diverse workforce to help transform communities to achieve health equity for all. Founded in 1996 by participants in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), ACU is the foremost advocate for the NHSC and leads advocacy, clinical, operational, and equity excellence and supports the healthcare workforce caring for America’s under-resourced populations. Learn more at clinicians.org.
About SMART Conversations
SMART Conversations® is an organizational development firm providing facilitated training, coaching and consulting services. Our programs build advanced communication skills resulting in increased organizational effectiveness – one conversation at a time. Our principles, concepts, and skills create the “psychological safety” needed to foster inclusivity and create best places to work. Once you have the common language of SMART Conversations® in place, your teams will get things done more easily, get along, be authentic, demonstrate respect, strengthen trust, and stay. When your culture lives and breathes the four core conditions of SMART Conversations®, everything is possible. Learn more at www.smart-conversations.com.
