The National Health Corps is an AmeriCorps program whose mission is to foster healthy communities by delivering and connecting those who need it most with health and wellness education, benefits and services, while developing tomorrow's compassionate health leaders. Through our partnership with AmeriCorps, we work to fulfill our mission each year by recruiting, training, and placing emerging leaders in resource-limited organizations throughout Chicago, North Florida, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh.
NHC members complete at least 1,700 hours of service during their service terms, which usually last 42-46 weeks, in support of this mission. Members conduct service activities at NHC partner organizations, called “host sites,” that typically focus on one or more of three main focus areas:
1) addressing the opioid and prescription drug overuse crisis,
2) increasing older adults’ ability to remain in their homes with the same or improved quality of life for as long as possible; and
3) increasing physical activity and improving nutrition with the purpose of reducing obesity and related chronic conditions.
Members are assigned a host site mentor who provides the member with mentorship and access to training/professional development opportunities at the host site. Members also participate in ongoing training, professional development, team-building, and opportunities for additional outside/group service and committee activities. NHC and its partners strive to ensure that members can contribute substantively to the capacity and reach of their host sites, and have a rewarding experience that exposes them to a variety of health-focused careers and settings.