ABOUT US
ABOUT US
ABOUT US
The Solutions, Training, and Assistance for Recruitment and Retention (STAR²) Center is a project of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) that provides resources, training, and technical assistance to help Health Center Program grantees with their clinician workforce challenges and questions. We are a National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) of the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC). Please read through our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about us!
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $550,000 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov
Meet the STAR² Center Team
Sydney Axelrod (she/her),
Associate Director of Workforce Development
Sydney Axelrod, MA, is the Associate Director of Workforce Development for the STAR² Center at ACU. She joined ACU in May 2024 and works at the STAR² Center on training and course development and delivery to advance health center workforce recruitment and retention. Prior to joining the ACU team, Sydney worked in workforce development and training at the Home Care Aide Council, a non-profit organization committed to enhancing quality of care throughout the home care industry by focusing on the advancement of the home care aide workforce. She also has extensive experience in building and executing non-profit recruitment, hiring, onboarding, strategic planning, and employee engagement processes. Sydney received an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies from The University of North Carolina Greensboro, where work in the Greensboro community focused on developing curricula and expanding access for conflict resolution education training across private, public, and academic sectors. Sydney received her Bachelors degree from SUNY Geneseo in Sociology and Conflict Studies.
Mariah Blake (she, her),
Associate Director of Operations and Compliance
Mariah Blake, MPA, has been part of the ACU team since 2015. She supports the Solutions, Training, and Assistance for Recruitment and Retention (STAR²) Center by coordinating communications, managing the STAR² Center website, and assisting in resource production. She is the technical expert for all ACU training systems, managing the STAR² Center Learning Management System, Zoom webinar platform, and Discussion Board. Additionally, she assembles materials for STAR² Center trainings and webinars and helps manage delivery of all STAR² Center projects. Mariah previously worked in nonprofit and association support and served with KEYS Service Corps in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Michelle Fernández Gabilondo
(she, her(s), ella),
Director of Workforce Development
Dr. Michelle Fernández Gabilondo, DSW, MSW, is the Director of Workforce Development at the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved working at the STAR² Center on training and course development to advance health center workforce retention and recruitment. As a macro-level social worker, Dr. Fernández Gabilondo has experience working with medically underserved populations and survivors of military sexual trauma. She previously worked in training development and management at the National Association of Community Health Centers and the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. She earned her Doctor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and has a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Media Studies from New York University.
Suzanne Speer (she/her),
Vice President of Workforce Development
Suzanne Speer joined ACU in 2017 and serves as Vice President of Workforce Development. In this role, she oversees ACU’s National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP), the STAR² Center. She works directly with community health centers, state Primary Care Associations (PCAs), and other NTTAPs across the nation, addressing important issues related to workforce. She has worked with community health centers since 2013, first by recruiting providers at the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. She received a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Solutions, Training, and Assistance for Recruitment and Retention (STAR²) Center is a project of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved that provides resources, training, and technical assistance to help Health Center Program grantees with their clinician workforce challenges and questions.
The STAR² Center is funded through a National Cooperative Agreement with the Bureau of Primary Health Care at the Health Resources and Services Administration. This funding ensures that services are offered free of charge to all Health Center Program grantees and Look Alikes.
The online resource center is a growing one-stop shop for toolkits, manuals, best practices, and other resources related to clinician recruitment and retention. Additionally, confidential health center recruitment and retention Data Profiles are updated annually and shared with health centers to help identify specific needs of individual health centers.
The STAR² Center primarily conducts training online via webinars, learning collaboratives, and self paced courses. Additionally, the STAR² Center team partners with Primary Care Associations to provide in-person trainings at state and regional conference. Keep an eye on the training calendar for information on the STAR² Center’s monthly webinar series and view previously recorded webinars on the ACU & STAR² Center Video Page.
The STAR² center offers individualized technical assistance via phone, email, and on site consultation. Start the process today by filling out the request form, calling 844-ACU-HIRE, or emailing us!
