NNPHI Public Health AmeriCorps

About Our Program

NNPHI is part of Public Health AmeriCorps – AmeriCorps and CDC’s national service program! Together, along with 10 AmeriCorps members, we’ll help our communities, localities and states become healthier, stronger, and more resilient.

Specifically, NNPHI will be working with several public health institutes, such as the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust in San Juan, PR. and Health Resources in Action (HRiA) in Boston, MA. to implement local climate advocacy and community resiliency projects throughout the award period.

During this project year, NNPHI will support the recruitment of the following AmeriCorps positions:

Puerto Rico Public Health Trust (PRPHT)

• Social Determinants of Health: will support the activities and meetings of the SDOH and Social Epidemiology Interest Group, with a specific focus on health equity. This will involve collaborating with other members of the interest group to develop initiatives and strategies that aim to understand and address the social and health impacts of vulnerable communities.
• Telemedicine: a crucial role in promoting this service as a solution for accessing healthcare services during emergencies and enhancing climate resilience in nursing homes. Through collaboration with PRPHT, the member focuses on strategies to disseminate, engage, and outreach for access to care, emphasizing the benefits of telemedicine for nursing home residents and their families to strengthen the healthcare system’s resilience to climate change.
• Graphic Designer: will play a pivotal role in creating promotional materials that raise awareness about climate change and extreme weather resiliency in PR. This includes being responsible for developing visually engaging graphics to effectively communicate public health, climate resilience, and disaster preparedness messages.
• Health Communications Fellows: will support the development of inclusive language and messaging to raise awareness of climate change impacts on public health, aiming to promote community resilience and empower communities in addressing climate change challenges.
• Community and Marketing Research: focuses on executing a comprehensive marketing research plan to boost participation in the COVID-19 Patient Registry in PR. Responsibilities include engaging in events, forming alliances, and coordinating meetings to align with the goals of the Patient Registry and address health impacts of COVID-19 in the context of climate change and disaster resiliency.
• Climate Change Community Research: The Climate Change Community Research Member will use climate change data to assess its impact on freshwater quantity and quality in remote areas of PR, focusing on building resilience against increased risks of drought and waterborne diseases. The research aims to inform best practices for community aqueducts, establish science-based indicators, and assess health impacts, contributing to local capacity-building for resilient water systems.

Health Resource in Acton (HRiA)

• Climate Justice Community Connector: The Climate Justice Community Connector will collaborate with community groups to conduct grassroots campaigns, engaging residents in Everett, MA, in climate resilience efforts through door-knocking, events, workshops, and community-based research. The goal is to enhance community preparedness and resilience to climate change impacts, fostering partnerships with stakeholders, academic institutions, and other organizations, while also aligning efforts with similar work in Chelsea, MA.