Association of Clinicians for the Underserved

The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, or ACU, is a nonprofit, transdisciplinary organization of clinicians, advocates and healthcare organizations united in a common mission to improve the health of America's underserved populations and to enhance the development and support of the health care clinicians serving these populations.
History
ACU was established in 1996 by participants and alumni of the National Health Service Corps. Today ACU has a constituency of more than 8,000 clinicians and 900 organizations. Our membership includes individuals representing 18 professional disciplines as well as community clinics, health care organizations and professional societies.
The Healthcare Team
ACU encompasses a broad range of health professionals serving diverse patient populations in widely varying practice settings and geographic areas. ACU's definition of comprehensive health care includes medical, oral, complementary and alternative medicine, behavioral and pharmaceutical care services.
ACU believes in transdisciplinary care—a holistic approach to patient assessment and treatment through a highly collaborative team of healthcare professionals and community organizations. We invite you to learn more about transdisciplinary care.
ACU's Priorities
ACU focuses on issues such as: healthcare reform, healthcare access, elimination of health disparities, a transdisciplinary approach to healthcare, workforce development and diversity, cultural competency in the health care setting, health care quality improvement, access to medicines and pharmaceutical care services, and integration of behavioral health into primary care practice.
In pursuing its mission, ACU is committed to six objectives:
1. Enhancing support for healthcare teams to deliver comprehensive primary care and preventative services (i.e. medical, oral, behavioral, pharmacy, complementary and alternative)
2. Providing access to information relevant to clinical practice
3. Providing opportunities for clinicians to interact with other professionals
4. Promoting research to increase understanding of underserved practice
5. Increasing opportunities for training relevant to providing healthcare to underserved populations
6. Enhancing healthcare team’s use of the tool of health information technology and clinical informatics to improve health outcomes

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