The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and services.  ACS is starting a new Colorectal Screening Initiative to increase access to preventive colorectal cancer screening services for the underserved and uninsured communities in Illinois.  In the case of colorectal cancer screening, the entire state of Illinois is at 59% for those eligible to be screened.  This number should be 100%. In order to raise colorectal screening rates throughout the state, ACS is starting this initiative and seeks a Chicago Health Corps member to serve as a health educator and patient navigator at Erie Family Health Center, an ACS partner, located in Chicago's West Town neighborhood.  Erie West Town is the largest of Erie's health centers.  In collaboration with Erie providers, the Chicago Health Corps member will identify eligible patients for ACS services.  The Chicago Health Corps member will provide these services with the ultimate goal to provide equitable access to colonoscopies to all eligible patients in the community.  The member will be instrumental in making the connection from Erie Family Health Center to the partnering hospitals.  The member will educate patients and then navigate eligible patients to free or low cost colonoscopies offered by partnering hospitals.  Read more about the American Cancer Society here: http://www.illinoiscancerhelp.org/.

Erie Family Health Center’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high quality health care for those in need.  Erie Family Health Center was founded in 1957 as a volunteer clinic serving the elderly and today provides health programs and services for all ages.  Erie cares for more than 35,000 patients annually at 11 health centers.  This position is based at Lakeview High School which houses over 1,500 high students between the ages of 13 to 21. 88% of the students that attend Lake View H.S. are considered low income students. The student body is highly diverse with a cross section of Hispanic, Black, Asian and Caucasian students.  An ideal candidate for this position would have a positive outlook, the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and an interest in adolescent health, nutrition and chronic disease management.  The Health Educator will be an integral part of Erie’s Health Promotion Department.  The Health Educator will collaborate with other members to provide a Teen Pregnancy Prevention program in several Chicago Public Schools.   Members will initiate meetings with school administrators, facilitate classroom presentations and collect, tally and track pre-post test evaluations.  The Teen Pregnancy Prevention program also includes a “Parents Speak Up” component to help parents/guardians address sexual health issues with their child.  This position will participate in the Get REAL program, a nutrition and wellness program for overweight and obese high school students at Lake View High School.   Members will recruit participants for the program, conduct 1:1 and group education sessions, collect data and track program results.  The Health Educator will also increase access to dental and vision services by coordinating student visits to mobile providers.  Additionally, the Health Educator will develop and implement various campaigns to promote adolescent vaccines and the seasonal flu vaccine.  Read more about Erie Family Health Center here: http://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/.

The mission of Heartland International Health Center (HIHC) is to improve the well-being of the communities we serve by providing accessible, high-quality healthcare. We are an affiliate of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, an agency that has helped people living in poverty or danger to improve their lives and realize their human rights since 1888.  We provide a medical home on north side of Chicago where patients may receive primary care, mental health care, and oral health care services regardless of their ability to pay.   The school health centers provide comprehensive and confidential primary care, dental, and counseling services at no cost to the students who attend those schools.  Much of the work in the school health centers focuses on assessing medical, behavioral, and emotional risk factors and then linking patients to the health resources that are most appropriate.  Confidential services include family planning, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and counseling around substance abuse. This position has multiple responsibilities that include increasing access to health services, increasing health knowledge and promoting wellness.  The member will conduct classroom education on reproductive health; conduct outreach to increase student compliance with health requirements (i.e. immunizations & physical exams); design health education materials and campaigns; and empower seniors with knowledge of accessing the health system post graduation.   The position demands the ability to multi-task projects at two sites while possessing the initiative and persistence to navigate two school systems.  Read more about Heartland International Health Center here: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/hhc/.

Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago has been a local public health leader since 1906.  Today, the association addresses asthma, COPD, lung cancer, tobacco control and air quality with a comprehensive approach involving research, education and advocacy activities.  In RHAMC’s work with schools, childcare providers, community organizations and local businesses, staff educate people about asthma management strategies, offer flu vaccinations and provide smoking cessation counseling. 

RHAMC seeks a total of 3 Asthma Educators to lead the organization’s Fight Asthma Now classroom-based curriculum to youth and Asthma Management workshops for adult care givers.   Each educator will conduct outreach to school administration, schedule presentations and present in schools across the Chicagoland area.  The team is also responsible for on-going tracking and evaluation of the overall program.  Asthma Educators will also complete a facilitator training on the Courage to Quick smoking cessation program.  Subsequently each member will have the opportunity to facilitate one workshop and two additional tobacco education sessions.  Asthma Educators will also have the opportunity to serve clients living with COPD by participating in two educational conferences during the term of service. 

Erie Family Health Center’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high quality health care for those in need.  Erie Family Health Center was founded in 1957 as a volunteer clinic serving the elderly and today provides health programs and services for all ages.  Erie cares for more than 35,000 patients annually at 11 health centers.   This position is based at Erie’s Humboldt Park community health center.  An ideal candidate for this position will have a positive outlook, the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and an interest in chronic disease management, adult and adolescent health.  The Health Educator will be an integral part of Erie’s Health Promotion Department.  This position will take a leadership role in participant enrollment for the Diabetes y Yo and Diabetes Month by Month programs.  Additionally, the position facilitates presentations and conducts program development and evaluation activities.  This position will collaborate with other AmeriCorps members to assist with leading sexual health and Teen Pregnancy Prevention classes as well as “Parent Speak Up” sessions, the parent component of Erie’s sexual health program.  The Health Educator will be responsible for assisting with the implementation, development and evaluation of the Centering Pregnancy program, a group prenatal class.  Specifically, the position is responsible for outreach efforts and reminder calls to facilitate the launch of one new group per month.  This position also manages health promotion department referrals by conducting telephone outreach to patients.  Lastly, the Health Educator plays a leadership roll in recruitment, coordination and facilitation of monthly workshops for graduates of the La Vida Sana program for overweight and obese women.  Proficient in Spanish a must to effectively serve the Humboldt Park population; bilingual Spanish & English preferred.   Read more about Erie Family Health Center here: http://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/.

Erie Family Health Center’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high quality health care for those in need.  Erie Family Health Center was founded in 1957 as a volunteer clinic serving the elderly and today provides health programs and services for all ages.  Erie cares for more than 35,000 patients annually at 11 health centers.  This position is based at Amundsen High School which houses over 1,600 high students between the ages of 13 to 21. 91% of the students that attend Amundsen H.S. are considered low income students. The student body is highly diverse with a cross section of Hispanic, Black, Asian and Caucasian students.  An ideal candidate for this position would have a positive outlook, the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and an interest in adolescent health, nutrition and chronic disease management.  The Health Educator will be an integral part of Erie’s Health Promotion Department.  The Health Educator will collaborate with other members to provide a Teen Pregnancy Prevention program in several Chicago Public Schools.   Members will initiate meetings with school administrators, facilitate classroom presentations and collect, tally and track pre-post test evaluations.  The Teen Pregnancy Prevention program also includes a “Parents Speak Up” component to help parents/guardians address sexual health issues with their child.  This position will participate in the Get REAL program, a nutrition and wellness program for overweight and obese high school students at Lake View High School.   Members will recruit participants for the program, conduct 1:1 and group education sessions, collect data and track program results.  The Health Educator will also increase access to dental and vision services by coordinating student visits to mobile providers.  Additionally, the Health Educator will develop and implement various campaigns to promote adolescent vaccines and the seasonal flu vaccine.  Read more about Erie Family Health Center here: http://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/.

The SGA Fresh from the Farm AmeriCorps position will require collaboration with SGA staff and partners to implement all elements of the Fresh from the Farm (FFF) program.  This position will require direct implementation healthy eating and local food educational curriculum and programming at selected Chicago schools, covering a variety of topics including nutrition, local food origins, sustainable agriculture, and food systems mapping.  Direct program implementation will include garden development activities in specific schools as well as occasional field-based activities including trips to farms, farmers markets, and sustainable food restaurants which reinforce healthy eating lessons and make connections for children about how healthy eating takes place in real world venues. The position will also include regular educational service delivery as part of the Truck Farm Chicago project, which uses a mobile urban garden in the flat bed of a truck as a vehicle for teaching children about gardens, plants, and healthy eating.  In addition to these forums for education, the AmeriCorps Member will participate in a variety of farmers markets, health fairs and other events that provide a platform for educating youth and adults about healthy eating and growing food.  This year, the AmeriCorps Member will formally work on the recruitment and management of volunteers and interns through existing SGA and FFF contacts and partner organizations.  To support direct service, the AmeriCorps Member will engage in selected communications activities that tell the story of the work being implemented, which may include website, newsletter, and social media activities and could also feature local farmers, nutrition tips, program highlights, and recipes.   Read more about Seven Generation Ahead here: http://www.sevengenerationsahead.org/. 

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and services.  In Illinois, ACS developed a robust statewide program called Patient Navigation Services with the goal of reducing/eliminating barriers to accessing timely cancer care.  In-hospital navigation employs licensed professionals who are able to be the face of the ACS in the hospital system.  They link patients to ACS programs along with hospital programs based on an individual assessment.  In-hospital staff see close to 60 new patients a month and 100 repeat clients.  The Chicago Health Corps member provides a valuable service to increase access to care at Stroger Hospital, Illinois’ only public hospital.  Stroger Hospital serves those who are uninsured and underinsured.  Patients are primarily from Cook county and surrounding suburbs.  There is a diverse background of patients seen; 50% African American, 25% Latino/Hispanic and the rest is made up of Caucasian, Asian and other backgrounds.  Based at Sroger Hospital, this position conducts patient navigation based on provider referrals, conducts outreach to patients who miss treatment and is responsible for recruiting, training and managing a team of ACS volunteers.     Read more about the American Cancer Society here: http://www.illinoiscancerhelp.org/ .

The Health Promoter splits time between a school-based site at Uplift Community High School (7^th-12^th grades) and Wilson Community Clinic located directly across the street.  This position demands a candidate with the ability to interact and communicate well with diverse populations (age, race, ethnicity and gender).  At HHC-Uplift, the position activities include 1:1 interactions and classroom education with the student population to increase access to health care and knowledge of health topics.  Health issues to be addressed are: STD prevention and treatment; pregnancy prevention; comprehensive sex education; immunization as a public health threat; and oral hygiene. At HHC–Wilson the main health issues to be addressed are: diabetes, obesity and health literacy with the adult population.  HHC-Wilson serves a diverse population with a large immigrant and refugee population.  A member will provide 1:1 and group education to promote diabetes prevention and weight management among the patient population.  Additionally, the member will lead the efforts to assess and improve the health literacy of the clinic’s patients.  Read more about Heartland International Health Center here: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/hhc/.

The mission of Westside Health Authority is to use the capacity of community residents to improve the health and well-being of the community. The AmeriCorps member will serve with the Westside Health Authority's Every Woman Counts! Breast Health Program.  The program’s objective is to reduce the late stage incidence and mortality of breast cancer among African American women with little or no access to adequate health care and treatment on the Westside of Chicago (Austin, East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park communities). Numerous studies have indicated that minority women, particularly Blacks have the poorest breast cancer survival rate. Reports illustrate the imbalance of breast health resources, indicating that the south and west regions of Chicago have the highest breast cancer mortality rates, but few breast health services, such as mammogram testing sites.  The AmeriCorps member will conduct various outreach activities to increase the number of women screened for breast cancer through the program including coordinating mammogram field trips for program participants.  The member will also be responsible for conducting events to educate and empower women with breast health information within the target communities.  Lastly, the member will be instrumental in implementing major events that engage community leaders in the program and recruit and manage volunteers to support the major events such as the Susan G. Komen Walk.  Read more about the Westside Health Authority here: http://www.healthauthority.org/. 

The Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton School is a collaboration between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) clinical program.  The mission of ICO is to provide excellence in optometric clinical education.  Chicago Public Schools is the third largest school district in the country and serves over 415,000 students in 675 schools across the city. The IEI at Princeton opened January of 2011 and provides community-based eye care to Chicago Public School students year round.  Most of the CPS students that present are uninsured, under insured or covered by the state insurance.  Care is provided to all students without regard of the ability to pay for eye care including eye glasses.   In the first year, more than 6500 students received vision care.  The AmeriCorps member will spend half of their time on clinic-based activities that include conducting eye screenings in the clinic and coordinating referrals for follow up care for students.  The other half of the position aims to increase access to the clinic by recruiting schools to organize field trips to the clinic through outreach efforts.  Outreach efforts will include visiting schools to develop relationships with key contacts, educating parents and students and coordinating necessary consent forms for students.  To learn more about the IEI at CPS Princeton School click here: http://www.ico.edu/iei-at-princeton.