ACU 2023 Conference: Transformation: Elevating Care, Clinicians, & Communities

July 23-26, 2023

Registration | Call for Abstracts | Call for Award Nominations | Corporate Sponsors | Exhibitors

 

Call for Abstracts

Dr. Kameron Matthews presents at the 2022 ACU ConferenceThe Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is now accepting workshop and poster abstracts for our 2023 Annual Conference, Transformation: Elevating Care, Clinicians, and Communities. The conference will be held in person at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., on July 23-26, 2023.

The ACU Annual Conference brings together hundreds of healthcare clinicians, administrators, and public health and industry leaders from across the country, all with an interest in expanding access to care and improving healthcare delivery for medically underserved populations. The meeting is a special opportunity for clinicians, administrators, researchers, students, and advocates to network, learn, and share strategies to support our collective work.

This year’s conference include educational sessions, poster presentations, networking opportunities, and more. Continuing Education credits will be available for workshop sessions. The full conference agenda, including workshop sessions, will be posted in April.

Workshop Abstracts

Up to twenty-four abstracts will be selected for 60- and 75-minute workshops. Sessions will be grouped into three tracks: Workforce, Clinical Practice, and Emerging Issues. Furthermore, ACU asks presenters to develop their content through a lens of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Workforce: Supporting the Healthcare Workforce

Workshops in this track should focus on utilizing proven methods and resources to enable teams and individuals to thrive in the workplace. This track may also include recruitment, retention, or any organizational or practice initiatives that focus on increasing the number of health professionals trained and working in underserved areas. Presenters are encouraged to consider:

  • Physical and psychological safety on the job
  • Cultivating leaders
  • JEDI strategic plans and trainings for personnel
  • Mentorship programs
  • Health Professions Education & Training (HP-ET) preceptorships
  • Equitable retention for non-licensed clinical staff

Clinical Practice: Delivering High-Quality, Accessible, and Inclusive Care

Workshops in this track should focus on clinical practice and how federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) can improve access to high-quality and inclusive care. Workshops in this track may focus on:

  • The diverse needs of patients with disabilities and cognitive or mental health impairments
  • How culture influences attitudes, behaviors and expectations related to health, medications, treatment regimens, healthcare, and healthcare providers
  • Health disparities related to diverse populations
  • Increasing integration and collaboration across disciplines
  • Gender-affirming care

Emerging Issues: Transforming Care for Under-Resourced Communities

Workshop proposals submitted under this track should focus on emerging issues of interest to health centers and those caring for under-resourced communities. Examples may include:

  • Climate change and health
  • Political determinants of health
  • Homegrown best practices to improve care
  • Addressing the needs of refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers
  • Suicide prevention among special populations
  • Community design and health

JEDI Considerations for All Workshops and Posters

ACU strives to ensure that its content is inclusive and free from bias. When submitting your abstract, please consider the perspective(s) of your material and whether it is potentially biased. Dr. Caruso Brown’s Checklist for Assessing Bias in Health Professions Education Content is a helpful tool for identifying unintended bias.

Additionally, workshop and poster presenters are encouraged to find ways to incorporate diverse perspectives and promote JEDI within the subject area. Some ways to do this include: 

  • Using data and storytelling from diverse perspectives
  • Delivering content with cultural humility and cultural responsiveness
  • Identifying ways to promote equity, inclusion, and belonging among personnel
  • Addressing discrimination and bias in clinical practice
  • Increasing awareness of individual, institutional, structural, and systemic discrimination that contributes to the challenges/problems being addressed

Poster Presentations

Faculty and staff from the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved and ACU leadership will review and judge conference posters for their presentation, information, and innovation. One poster will be selected and given an opportunity to meet with faculty and staff from the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved to discuss recommendations for developing the poster into a manuscript to submit for review. 

Research Posters should be displayed on a board measuring 4ft x 6ft. Presenters must be available to discuss their posters during dedicated poster sessions on July 24th and 25th

Presenter Registration and Travel

Both workshop and poster presenters must register for the Annual Conference and attend in person. All workshop and poster presenters are eligible for discounts off conference registration. We are not able to cover any travel or hotel expenses; please keep this in mind when you are submitting an abstract.

2023 registration rates are as follows:

  • Workshop presenters: $450
  • Poster presenters: $450
  • Student workshop or poster presenters: Free

Presenter Timeline and Deadlines

  • February 17, 2023 – Deadline to submit abstracts
  • March 6, 2023Selection notifications sent out

Additional Information

  • Workshops and posters are scheduled for July 24th and 25th
  • Workshops are scheduled for 60- or 75-minute blocks 
  • Presenters may submit abstracts for both a research poster and a workshop
  • Presenters may submit more than one workshop and/or poster abstract
  • Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of experts and scored using the criteria below. Abstracts should attempt to meet at least 3 of the 5 criteria below:
    • Addresses a current issue, important problem, or a barrier
    • Makes a lasting change
    • Can be implemented by other organizations/providers 
    • Aligns with the conference theme
    • Promotes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion

TIP: We suggest that you complete the application in Word and copy/paste your responses into Google Forms (the platform used for our online applications).

Review the Application Template

Please contact Luke Ertle with any inquiries about the submission process or the conference itself. We look forward to seeing you in Washington this summer!