AmeriCorps VISTA
Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA provides opportunities for Americans 18 years or older from a diverse range of backgrounds to dedicate a year of full-time service with an organization (“sponsor”) to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty.
AmeriCorps VISTA’s mission is “to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.”
The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health currently hosts two VISTA positions:
VISTA Rural Health Access Specialist
From your base in Salt Lake City, you will work with our team and community partners to expand a recently launched educational loan repayment program for behavioral health specialists and develop a system to measure the program’s impact on Utah’s behavioral health workforce shortages. You will also increase healthcare access for veterans residing in rural areas of the state by developing and disseminating resources and information for Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and other local healthcare facilities.
The VISTA member will work with OPCRH colleagues and community partners to expand the reach of the Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance program in rural areas and continue developing a system to measure the impact of the loan repayment programs on health workforce retention in participating sites. The VISTA will help OPCRH improve rural providers’ participation in loan repayment programs and improve overall management of the program. Specifically, you will: 1) develop a provider and site outreach plan to expand the reach of the Health Workforce Financial Assistance Program in rural areas; 2) provide programmatic support as needed and build administrative leadership capacity; 3) refine the system to measure the impact of the loan repayment programs on health workforce retention in participating sites; and 4) implement other relevant projects identified by OPCRH Director, Health Systems Support Coordinator, Workforce Development Coordinator, or State Dental Director.
VISTA Health Policy & Research Specialist
Working from the Utah Department of Health’s main office in Salt Lake City, you will collaborate with Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (OPCRH) colleagues to improve OPCRH’s understanding of the nature of Utah’s health workforce shortages and develop potential strategies to address the identified challenges. Additionally, you will help to improve the quality of policy and research information available for OPCRH’s rural partners and stakeholders.
The VISTA member will work with OPCRH colleagues and community partners to build Utah’s capacity to track policy developments affecting the viability of rural healthcare facilities and workforce. This will help to reduce poverty among rural and underserved populations by improving the quality of policy and research information for rural partners and stakeholders. Specifically, you will: • Track federal and state policy developments affecting the viability of rural healthcare facilities and workforce; • Identify and disseminate information on rural health topics relevant to OPCRH’s partners and stakeholders; • Support Utah’s newly established Health Workforce Advisory Council by performing research and analysis of health workforce policies in Utah and other states as needed; and • Implement other relevant projects identified by OPCRH Director, Health Systems Support Coordinator, Workforce Development Coordinator, or State Dental Director.
As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, you will receive benefits to support you as you make a difference in communities across Utah. More details can be found here.
AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program must:
- Be 18 years or older (no upper age limit)
- Pass a national service criminal history check
- Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens and persons residing in a state that have the following legal residency classifications: refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status, or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status.