National Health Corps Pittsburgh Blog

"My experience in Americorps has promoted self growth and aided me in being able to help promote growth in others. Learning my role as a Patient Navigator has enabled me to delve into the myriad of resources that help integrate people into more functional lifestyles. My journey has opened my eyes to the systems put into place to aid those in need of housing, food, transportation services, and care coordination. As someone who is college educated, having an understanding of these systems has helped me to realize how important it is to advertise the systems and the resources they offer further, in order to make sure that people have the necessary tools to sustain healthy lives."

"At first glance, it may seem like a daunting task to bring public interest to a program, but NHC members have many pillars of support. Through the NHC staff, my fellow team members, and my mentor, we learned to convey the passion that we have for our service in various mediums such as blogs and photos. The NHC team encouraged us to practice our communication skills with each other, and thus we developed the skills to communicate with a wider host of audiences."

"Before beginning my term as a National Health Corps Pittsburgh member, I was often asked, 'So, what exactly are you doing this year?' While the details of the daily activities as a Patient Navigator remained cloudy, I felt confident describing my 10 and half month engagement with National Health Corps as a 'service year.' However, throughout the first half of this program, I have realized that working in a health related profession is a life-long continuation of a 'service year'. I have observed this in all aspects of my experience, from the daily work that I do at the Lawrenceville Family Health Center to my community volunteer projects and health education opportunities. I am continuously surrounded by a community of people that have made a commitment to serving others."

"As a Community Health and Prevention Coordinator serving at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, much of my work revolves around supporting after-school programs on health and wellness initiatives. Specifically, I help implement a national program called Healthy Out-of-School Time (HOST for short) at after-school programs all throughout Allegheny County. The aim of HOST is to provide support to out-of-school time sites so that they can create healthier out-of-school time environments for their kids. Participation in the program is free, which is essential, as the after-school sites I work with are often extremely underfunded and under-resourced."