Jan. 15, 2021
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield Clinic Health System has created Community Corps, a program of AmeriCorps, that will place 80 full-time staff across Wisconsin to support clinics, hospitals, coalitions, youth serving organizations, public health, and other nonprofits and government agencies in addressing local health priorities.
The new program, MCHS AmeriCorps Community Corps, is accepting applications from nonprofits and government agencies to host an AmeriCorps member, full time, for up to one year at very little cost.
Community Corps members will provide additional capacity to help organizations address their most pressing community health needs, said Brian Blahnik, manager of the new program. This could include work on nutrition, mental health, substance misuse, chronic disease prevention, violence prevention, healthy growth and development, academics, oral health, tobacco, sexual health, communicable disease, environmental health and physical fitness.
"Community public health resources have always been stretched thin, and the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified those shortages," Blahnik said. "Most organizations will receive a full time, 40 hour per week AmeriCorps member that can help them get things done that they otherwise couldn't."
MCHS AmeriCorps Community Corps will begin serving communities with the 80 members Sept. 13. Organizations interested in hosting one of these members and receiving the benefits of this added capacity can learn more by participating in one of many online host site summits, which are being held through March 8.
To learn more about opportunities with MCHS AmeriCorps Community Corps and how to become a host site visit: https://communityhealth.marshfieldclinic.org/en/Americorps. Questions can be directed to Brian Blahnik, blahnik.brian@marshfieldclinic.org or 715-221-8403.
