Community HealthCorps Program 


  Ashley N. Pugh
Community HealthCorps Program Coordinator

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY HEALTHCORPS?

The Community HealthCorps is a national AmeriCorps program that promotes health care for America’s underserved, while developing tomorrow’s health care workforce. HealthCorps members reach out to individuals with no regular primary care provider to increase access to health care, provide health education and support that lead to appropriate use of health care services and better “self-care” by health center patients, and recruit and develop volunteers to support community health centers.

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC ®) launched Community HealthCorps in 1995 to bring national service resources to community health centers, primary care associations and clinic consortia that provide primary health care to residents of medically underserved areas. Today, over 600 Community HealthCorps members serve in 33 partner organizations at over 100 delivery sites across 18 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. HealthCorps members serve both in rural and urban areas, meeting the needs of migrant farm workers, the uninsured and underinsured, and homeless individuals.

During the first ten years, over 2,500 HealthCorps members provided:

• Over 411,150 outreach and case management encounters to medically underserved individuals, assisting them to receive and better utilize preventive and primary health care;

• Over 321,230 patient encounters to improve utilization of health care services through education and self-management (efforts through disease collaborative initiatives); and

• Over 170,500 patient encounters to link patients with other health and social services (e.g. housing, employment, child care) provided by other agencies and organizations in the community.

HealthCorps members (generally serving in teams of 8-15) are part of the AmeriCorps* network of community and national service programs that engage more than 75,000 Americans annually in intensive service to meet critical needs in health and human needs, education, public safety, homeland security and the environment. Full-time HealthCorps members receive a living allowance distributed evenly throughout their term of service (minimum 1,700-hours over 10-12 months), plus health insurance benefits, and if eligible, child care benefits. After successfully completing their term of service and service hours, each full-time member receives an education award worth $4,725 to be used toward student loans or future education costs. Payments are made directly to educational institutions or lenders. Part-time positions (900 hours) are also available at some sites; in these cases, members receive pro-rated education awards and may receive pro-rated stipends. In addition, members may serve quarter-time (450 hours) and receive a pro-rated education award.

Community HealthCorps is unique among AmeriCorps* programs nationwide because service assignments target the health and social service needs of underserved populations. About half of the members come from the communities served by a health center and in many cases, are health center consumers. Over 80% are interested in pursuing careers in the health care professions. John Gressman, CEO of the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC), reflected on how the program has impacted the workforce: “The services they (HealthCorps members) provide to people through our SFCCC programs are invaluable. In addition, those members who enter the medical, nursing and social services professions are also expanding the service capability of the future.”

The first-hand experience in health service delivery, coupled with in-service training and post-program transition services, results in members who: pursue upwardly mobile health care careers with the aid of AmeriCorps education awards; assume increased responsibility for their own lives; and develop a life-long commitment to volunteer service. 

For more information on the National Association for Community Health Centers Community HealthCorps Program, please visit http://www.nachc.com/healthcorps/index.asp.  Please feel free to also contact Ashley N. Pugh, LPCA Community HealthCorps Program Coordinator.

Source: National Association for Community Health Centers www.nachc.com.