September 8, 2022

OCHIN’s learning and workforce development portfolio, OCHIN+, is partnering with Public Health AmeriCorps to recruit and train 25 applicants looking for a career in health care technology. The new program will expand economic opportunity and support access to quality care in rural areas and among underrepresented communities.

In April, OCHIN announced that we received funding from AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support Public Health AmeriCorps on-site training positions at 10 OCHIN member clinics in six states. The program will help these members address critical staffing shortages to keep their doors open in places where they may be the only source of affordable health care. It will also help them to train new talent who can provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services for their local community. The $2.1 million in program grant funding supplies the technical and online classroom training and the real-world, hands-on experience required for participants to step into full-time employment.

Applications for the program are now being accepted through November 1*.

“The new Public Health AmeriCorps training roles for our network come at a pivotal time, as burnout continues to be a significant challenge and rural clinics in particular are struggling to attract and retain talent,” said Engers Fernandez, Vice President of Learning at OCHIN. “Partnering with Public Health AmeriCorps through our OCHIN+ portfolio of programs is another way that OCHIN can support our members and equip a workforce prepared to meet their unique needs. At the same time, this provides inclusive training and career opportunities for learners from a wide range of backgrounds who are passionate about health equity but may have otherwise found a career in health care to be unattainable.”

Selected applicants will be trained by OCHIN+ and gain insight into the specialized needs of community health centers. Launched in April 2022, OCHIN+ draws on OCHIN’s more than 20 years of practice-based research, solutions, and technology training expertise to provide an expanding portfolio of learning and workforce development programs. These programs strengthen local communities by increasing access to affordable job training and affordable health care simultaneously. They also augment the talent pool for community health care organizations and create a more diverse and representative workforce of the future through systematic training and the creation of living wage jobs.

Public Health AmeriCorps applicants can pursue one of two curriculum tracks: 1) Community Health Worker, which teaches learners to advocate on behalf of patients and their families, or 2) Data and Clinical Quality Analyst, which provides specialized health care and database management insights that help learners support community health centers.

For more information and to apply, visit the Public Health AmeriCorps 2022 webpage.

*This story was updated to reflect that the deadline for applications has been extended from September 30 to November 1.