What is Community HealthCorps?
Founded in 1995 by the National Association of Community Health Centers, Community HealthCorps is the largest health-focused, national AmeriCorps program that promotes health care for America’s underserved, while developing tomorrow’s health care workforce. The mission is to improve health care access and enhance workforce development through community health center sponsored AmeriCorps including VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), and related programs.

Overarching goals to address the needs of medically underserved and other vulnerable populations served by community health centers are as follows:
• Increase access to and utilization of primary and preventive health care.
• Improve the capacity of health centers to provide quality and preventable health care services.
• Increase the quality and availability of preventive and primary care services and programs.
• Foster collaborations and partnerships that ensure the continuity and sustainability of programs and services.
• Encourage Community HealthCorps members to pursue further education and careers in community health through mentorship and experiential learning.
• Create a culture of civic engagement and volunteerism to strengthen preventive and primary health care.

HealthCorps program sponsors are primarily community health centers (CHCs) and primary care associations (PCAs) that host one or more teams of HealthCorps members. Operating since 2001, HealthCorps*VISTA is comprised of project stations (sponsors) - predominantly CHCs, PCAs and hospitals that typically host one or two HealthCorps*VISTA members. Most HealthCorps members and all HealthCorps*VISTA members enroll for a full year of service, and serve for up to two terms of service. More than 650 Community HealthCorps members serve through 35 partner organizations and 4 affiliate organizations at more than 150 delivery sites across 16 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Members Reflect and Work in Underserved Communities
Members serve rural and racially/culturally diverse urban communities and suburban, as well as migrant farm worker, homeless and public housing populations. Members are as racially, ethnically and economically diverse as the communities they serve. Educational attainment varies from high school and some college to graduate degrees. In addition, some members are active or retired health and social service professionals. No matter their background, members become part of a community’s struggle for better health and economic independence.

Members are Highly Trained
Members acquire new skills and knowledge that enhance their effectiveness and value to patients through pre-service orientation, in-service and advanced trainings. Training is conducted by health centers, national program staff, and others with subject matter expertise.

Members are known as “Agents of Change” in Clinical and Preventive Services
Focused on direct services, HealthCorps members provide a variety of health services/programs for patients and community by serving as community health workers (CHWs). Examples of Activities:

• Navigating the health care system;
• Establishing a “medical home” and improving utilization of health care;
• Individual and group health promotion/disease prevention education;
• Adopting “self-care” practices that lead to improved health status;
• Follow-up, case management, and support on treatment plans;
• Enrollment in public health insurance; and
• Assessing other patient needs (financial assistance, housing, legal & etc).

An Effective Model for Health Care Delivery and Capacity Building
Referred to by many names, community health workers (CHWs) have various long-standing roles in the United States and worldwide, but all strive to positively impact the health and well-being of communities they serve. Research indicates that community health workers are particularly effective at:

• Increasing access to health services;
• Increasing knowledge about a variety of health issues;
• Facilitating behavior change; and
• Providing social support and culturally competent, cost-effective care for medically underserved populations.

During the 2007-08 program year, more than 386,786 medically underserved people benefitted from the diligent service of Community HealthCorps members nationwide. Key examples:

• Members conducted 98,225 enrollments for new patients, health insurance plans, prescription assistance programs as well as a wide variety of other health services and programs.
• People who typically struggle with using preventive/primary health care services and programs showed up for more help - keeping at least 55,848 appointments for medical, health education and other support.
• Local HealthCorps programs also built community capacity by recruiting nearly 6,000 people who volunteered 44,424 hours to assist health centers and other community-based organizations with addressing health and human needs.

Source: The Community HealthCorps Program http://www.communityhealthcorps.org