Commitment and Collaboration in Action

When one looks up esprit de corps in the Merriam-Webster dictionary it is listed as a noun: “the common spirit existing in the members of a group inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the group.” On the first day of pre-service orientation I walked into a room filled with 19 new faces. Though we had never formally met, there was an evident bond between the National Health Corps (NHC) members in Florida.  As we went around the room to introduce ourselves, it was clear that we came from a variety of backgrounds and diverse parts of the country. Despite our differences, I met a group of young professionals that shared a similar passion: to have the privilege of addressing health disparities by serving people in need. Graduates are consistently bombarded by demands and expectations that often make it difficult for them to forego graduate school or employment opportunities for a year of direct service. The National Health Corps’ members in Florida had done just that. I believe that this factor alone served as our common denominator, enabled us to bond very quickly, and helped shape our esprit de corps. Two weeks later, and by the end of pre-service orientation, I made 19 new friends who I know will continue to challenge, support, and grow with me during this year of service.

One specific topic we discussed in pre-service orientation was how the world of public health works. Public health often involves collaboration between different organizations and professionals because it helps best serve the needs of a community. In my first month of service, I have already had the chance to network with fellow NHC members in order to best serve my clients at The PLAYERS Center for Child Health.

During the first week of service, my mentor approached me and told me that a mother of a child that she had helped enroll in Medicaid was in need of our help.  The mother had a mammogram done a week earlier and her doctor prescribed a follow up ultrasound. However, she could not afford to pay for the ultrasound. Immediately after I heard about her dilemma, I thought about Lee Ann, a corps member who is serving at the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. I called Lee Ann and she provided me with a list of places where the mother could go for an ultrasound at no cost. Due to the esprit de corps fostered in pre-service orientation, I was comfortable with Lee Ann and did not hesitate to reach out to her. Lee Ann provided me with a list of resources specific to her host site’s mission and goals. By utilizing my recently formed network of AmeriCorps members in Jacksonville, I was able to serve my client and provide her with a resource that she would not have been able to access on her own. My experience helped me realize, on a small scale, just how important community collaborations are within public health.

This blog post was written by NHC member in Florida, Nicole Katapodis.

Nicole serves at THE PLAYERS Center at Wolfson Children's Hospital as a Patient Navigator.