MPCA operates the Maine Community Health Corps (MCHC), with the contract support of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). AmeriCorps fits within the overall mission of MPCA in terms of the roles of AmeriCorps members in medically underserved areas and the support they can provide to MPCA members and their community non-profit partners.
For 2007 and 2008, the program focuses on increasing access to primary care. In addition to improving community health, this effort is intended to increase the sustainability of the primary care safety net. There is a range of non-clinical activities that strengthen the ability of health centers to support their patients, or strengthen the ability of communities to support the health of their citizens.
MPCA assists with the recruitment, training, supervision, and some of the associated costs of hosting an AmeriCorps member. Health Corps members may serve in a full-time or part time capacity, and they may hail from the local community or from a national pool of applicants. AmeriCorps members have proven to be a potential source of dedicated, skilled employees for the health center, and the education award can significantly boost the chances of realizing further potential among these service-oriented individuals from the community.
Sites participating in the MRHC program benefit from the addition of a staff member at a fraction of the cost of traditional employment. Once on-site the AmeriCorps member can increase organizational capacity and outreach through a variety of activities, including:
- Community health education
- Enhancing relationships with local organizations, such as schools (by assisting with after-school programs and other community-based activities)
- Extending the agency’s outreach and follow-up capacity with patients to improve self-management success, reduce barriers to care, and reduce no-shows
- Connecting people to primary care medical homes
- Helping organizations and communities prepare for and respond to disasters
AmeriCorps members share the common value of giving back to the community, but they come from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of skills and training. There is an AmeriCorps member to suit almost every institutional need, just as there are community needs to attract almost every potential member.
Currently, as of mid-2007, 14 health centers and other community-based non-profits are hosting an AmeriCorps member. Over the three years since the beginning of the program, MPCA has placed a total of 28 AmeriCorps members in health-related positions.
In the last three years, Maine Health Corps members have been involved in a wide variety of health initiatives, including:
- Securing grant funding for a community oral health program
- Teaching CPR and first aid classes
- Developing institutional emergency preparedness plans
- Organizing patient self-help groups
- Recruiting, training, and managing volunteers to mentor patients with complex needs
- Developing and presenting educational materials regarding emergent drug abuse issues for professional and community groups
- Supporting clinicians in responding to the health impacts of domestic violence
- Nutrition education & counseling
- Smoking cessation activities
- Helping adolescent girls with eating disorders
- Organizing workshops and conferences
- Building links with community youth programs
- Providing translation services and other supports for migrant workers
- Developing support groups for families of the mentally ill
For more information about the Maine Rural Health Corps, contact Tom Godfrey, Community Health Initiatives Manager at 207.621.0677, ext. 204.
For more information about hosting an AmeriCorps member, click here.
For more information about becoming an AmeriCorps member, click here.
To find more information about AmeriCorps, visit: www.americorps.org.
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