Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WILMINGTON, Del.—Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.), and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today met with national service and health system leaders creating innovative new pathways to nonclinical health care jobs through partnerships with National Health Corps—Delaware and Public Allies, both AmeriCorps programs, at Westside Family Healthcare.
The National Health Corps—Delaware and Public Allies have both partnered with Westside to place corps members providing critical nonclinical health services of the kind eligible for funding through Public Health AmeriCorps, a joint effort between AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the development and training of public health leaders nationwide. The program received a $400 million investment from the CDC as part of the American Rescue Plan.
“Big investments from American Rescue Plan have helped connect future health leaders from Public Health AmeriCorps to health centers like Westside. Community health centers are critical, so anything we can do to make sure they’re better staffed – we want to do.” said Sec. Becerra.
“Westside Family Healthcare is on the forefront of innovating health care delivery and is a model for other communities across the country that provide care regardless of the ability to pay. Westside is a point of pride in our community, and I was delighted that Secretary Becerra was able to see that first-hand today,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “I am proud to have played a small part in this partnership, made possible through the American Rescue Plan, to help bring more staff and resources to the front lines and provide quality, affordable care to Delawareans.”
“Public Health AmeriCorps allows Americans to serve communities in Delaware and across the country, whether by responding to a global pandemic or teaching about nutrition and other healthy habits to address chronic illnesses,” said Senator Coons. “They help organizations like Westside Health address crucial gaps in our communities that reduce public health disparities and provide lifesaving services to those who need it. I’m glad we could show Secretary Becerra the crucial work happening at Westside today, and I’m thankful for the investment HHS is making in Public Health AmeriCorps that will allow similar programs across the country to thrive.”
“As the former Delaware Secretary of Labor, one of my top priorities throughout the pandemic, and in its wake, was ensuring that our health care workforce was robust and well-trained,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “That’s why I was thrilled to welcome Secretary Becerra to Delaware today to see the fruits of those labors in the form of the National Health Corps that we helped create through the American Rescue Plan. The Corps has been instrumental in Delaware’s response to COVID and will continue to ensure that we’re ready and resilient facing the health challenges ahead.”
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