Erie's Helping Hand

Iris Lopez is a registered medical assistant whom I have had the pleasure to learn from and serve alongside for the past five months. Lopez has ten years of experience working with the NHC Chicago members who serve at Erie Family Health Center clinics.

Working for nine years at the Erie Teen Center, and one at the clinic in Amundsen High School, Lopez has gotten to know many AmeriCorps members. At the Teen Center, Lopez notes that AmeriCorps members perform many essential services. NHC Chicago members help with patient outreach, scheduling, and instruct centering classes for pregnant women. At my host site at Amundsen, I am responsible for teaching sexual health education, holding nutrition counseling sessions, and arranging for vision and dental services for the patients. Lopez remarks that'each new AmeriCorps member is a unique addition to the clinic." For example, former NHC Chicago member Ester Bier shared her expertise in cooking by holding'quick, easy, and affordable" cooking classes. Other members with experience with gardens taught children how to grow and maintain their own.

Lopez notes that not only do NHC Chicago members help patients achieve better health outcomes, but they also grow personally and professionally during their service term. Lopez reminds me that when I first arrived at Amundsen, I had no idea how to send a fax, use the copy machine, or navigate a patient's electronic medical record- all of which are essential skills in any healthcare setting. She emphasizes,'The AmeriCorps members at Erie clinics learn skills that are not taught in school." Lopez is often the first resource for NHC Chicago members who attempt to transition to this new environment. Lopez remarks that the first AmeriCorps member she worked with eventually became employed by Erie as an outreach coordinator after her term of service.

Finally, Lopez adds,'The year of service at Erie clinics serves as a mini-preview for what is soon to come for the AmeriCorps members." Many NHC Chicago members like me are planning on entering the healthcare field or non-profit work. We deeply appreciate the valuable experiences we continue to gain over our service term, as well as the mentorship and guidance that we receive from veterans like Lopez.

This post was written by NHC Chicago member, Jenny Hill. 

Jenny Hill serves as a Health Educator at Erie Family Health Center-Amundsen.