Video: Inside the Mercy Serves AmeriCorps Program

Meet the AmeriCorps members making a difference in our communities

Did you know that Mercy Health offers one of the only AmeriCorps programs in the country that places volunteers in acute care settings? The Mercy Serves AmeriCorps program is an excellent opportunity for college seniors and recent graduates looking to start their career or enter grad school in a health-related field.

The Mercy Serves AmeriCorps program provides members a chance to gain experience and make connections while earning stipends that help pay off college loans or support future educational endeavors. Beyond that, they receive the opportunity to give back to the community in a meaningful way. Mercy Serves Program Manager Sarah Beeler said that this program is a great way to see health care from the inside-out.

“They get a full day of professional development a week, access to whole health system, including leadership…  job shadowing and much more,” she said. “In this role, they work in ERs, doing screening for substance abuse. They spend long periods of time with patients, helping them get into treatment and address any barriers. They’re part of our broader opiate epidemic response through our Community Impact department.”

Beneath the video below, you’ll learn more about Mercy Health’s first class of corps members. Any applicants or individuals interested in learning more about this program should contact Tamiko Mauldin, professional recruiter, at TMauldin@mercy.com.

“I will be a certified health education specialist at the end of the summer. I plan to attend graduate school in the fall for a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration. After this position, I hope to continue my journey in the health care system and work my way up to becoming CEO of a hospital! I have big dreams and Mercy and AmeriCorps are allowing me to make those dreams a reality.” – Kylie Bethel, University of Cincinnati graduate

“We are mainly focused on the heroin and opiate crisis, but also do mood and alcohol screenings. We do SBIRT screenings in any patient’s room, who is over the age of 18. With SBIRT standing for: screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. For anyone who scores on our screening questions, we engage in patient education for alcohol and drug screenings, and we also pass along any relevant resources/referrals that the patient might need, such as counseling information or inpatient/outpatient treatment programs. This program is great because it also gives us the time to get to know the patient, and let them openly talk to us about their wants and path for recovery. I am still deciding if a graduate program is the right fit for me, and I am using this experience to grow and learn more about the healthcare system and interests of mine, which I could later pursue as a career.” – Kristen Scott, Kent State University graduate

“My goals are to get my Master’s in Physical Therapy, with the intentions of working with athletes. Traveling abroad with professional teams would be the dream, but working in the field at any level would suffice.” – Emerald Bronson, University of Cincinnati graduate

“I go into patient’s rooms and do screenings for alcohol, drugs, and depression. Our main mission is to address the heroin and opiate crises. One of the main aspects of my job is listening to patients. Depending on the screening, I will hook them up with resources and referrals. These resources range from counseling referrals to inpatient drug treatment. I have enjoyed being part of the Mercy and AmeriCorps family. I have a great interest in health and politics. This position engages my interest of government programs working together with other organizations to create solutions. I would like to continue with that as I go in my career. I have an interest in being a spokesperson or working with communities, organizations, and government.” – Jacob Henderson, University of Texas at San Antonio (BA) and University of Cincinnati (MS) graduate