Description
ACU invites health center C-suite and management staff to participate in the third annual Retention Academy. The Retention Academy brings together leaders from up to 25 health centers to discuss and implement scalable strategies to increase health center workforce retention. This year’s Retention Academy will focus on four critical components of a workforce retention plan: health center mission, work culture, career pathways, and compensation and benefits. In each hour-long session, participants will hear from experts, have time to problem solve challenges, and walk away with specific action items to improve staff retention rates. 

In between sessions, participants will have ample support in implementing action items. ACU staff will be available to provide technical assistance and peer support will be available through the Retention Academy Discussion Board. 

Participation will be limited to representatives from 25 health centers who are committed to improving staff retention rates within their organizations. 

Retention Academy Schedule:

**This learning collaborative has been postponed to support our cohort in the immediate response to COVID-19. Please stand by for updates! 

TBD
Improving Retention Through Mission
Providers and other staff members who choose to stay at health centers most often do so because their values align with the health center’s mission. Yet, too often the demands of day-to-day practice can cause the emphasis on mission to become diluted leaving staff members feeling drained and unfulfilled. In this session, participants will discuss opportunities to weave mission into everyday practice to keep staff members engaged and excited about their work.

TBD 
The Leader’s Role in Shaping the Health Center Work Culture 
The beliefs, thought processes, and attitudes of employees are critical to workforce retention efforts. In this session, health center leaders and managers will understand their role in creating a positive and safe work culture where staff members see themselves and their colleagues as critical and valuable to the health center’s mission. 

TBD
Creating New Health Center Career Pathways
One reason some of the brightest and most skilled staff members leave is because there is no more room for them to grow within the organization. In this session, participants will discuss opportunities for creating career pathways within the organization and how to avoid common pitfalls. 

TBD 
Innovative Approaches to Creating a More Robust Compensation Package
While health centers can offer mission-driven work, an exciting and engaging work culture, and career pathways; compensation and benefit packages will still have a role in staff retention. In this session, guest speakers will discuss health center compensation data and participants will explore innovative ways to create more robust benefit packages that won’t break the bank. 

TBD 
Tricks, Tips, and Tools to Sustain Retention Strategies 
Wrapping up this series, ACU faculty will share tools and resources that can be used to continually assess and strengthen health center workforce retention. 

The application window for this cohort has closed and accepted applicants were notified on March 11. Please contact Mariah Blake with any question.