The Healthy Start Coalition has officially become the administrator of the North Florida Health Corps, an AmeriCorps program that provides service opportunities to help meet unmet healthcare needs in the region. The Coalition took over the administrative and fiscal responsibilities as of August 15 for the current three-year grant period.

The North Florida Health Corps is one of four sites under the umbrella of the National Health Corps, an AmeriCorps National Direct program whose mission is to increase access to health care for underserved communities, promote health, reduce health care costs and develop new health care professionals.

The North Florida program first launched in 2004 with support from local community agencies, including the Coalition. The program has previously been administered by the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida and, most recently, the Duval County Health Department Maternal & Child Health Division.

NFHC AmeriCorps members serve 46 weeks in health care or public health settings throughout the First Coast, fulfilling unmet health care needs and decreasing disparities. The 23 members live and serve primarily in Jacksonville, Florida. Host sites and services are located in Jacksonville and adjacent counties (Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns). To date, the Coalition has served as a host site for more than a dozen members that have been utilized to expand and create new initiatives.