32 Years of NHC Service Comes to a Close

Published on July 30, 2026

32 Years of Service, Thousands of Lives Touched: Allegheny County Health Department Celebrates Final National Health Corps Cohort

PITTSBURGH – Today the final cohort has graduated from the National Health Corps (NHC), an AmeriCorps program, whose Pittsburgh location was run through the Allegheny County Health Department since 1994. The graduates leave behind a legacy of healthier communities and a stronger public health workforce.

For more than three decades, NHC members have quietly transformed public health across Allegheny County, helping families navigate complex health systems, connecting vulnerable residents to care, teaching healthy habits to children, and strengthening the organizations that serve our communities.

"Public health is built on people who choose service," said Allegheny County Health Department’s Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann. "National Health Corps members have met people where they are, offering compassion, guidance, and practical support during some of life's most challenging moments."

Since the program began, hundreds of members have served alongside hospitals, clinics, and community organizations throughout Allegheny County. While their titles varied, their mission remained the same: removing barriers to health and ensuring people had the knowledge, resources, and support they needed to live healthier lives. Their work has touched countless residents, often one conversation, one appointment, or one connection at a time.

Beyond the direct services they provided, the program also helped build the region's public health and healthcare workforce. Many members launched careers in public health, healthcare, social services, and nonprofit organizations after completing their service, carrying forward the skills and experiences they gained while serving Allegheny County.

“I was able to take my experience and use it to drive my academic career by enrolling in the nursing school under the same hospital division I served in,” said Gabrielle Bakaysa, 2024 to 2025 NHC Alumnus who served at UPMC St. Margaret New Kensington Family Health Center. “I'm able to take the skills I learned during my term and apply them clinically in the healthcare setting.”

AmeriCorps members served in a wide variety of roles that expanded access to care and strengthened community organizations.

Their contributions included:

  • Delivering health education to children and families on nutrition, sleep, chronic disease prevention, and healthy lifestyles.
  • Helping patients overcome barriers by coordinating transportation, resolving insurance issues, connecting individuals to food assistance, and enrolling patients in prescription assistance programs.
  • Improving clinic operations by creating outreach systems, strengthening referral networks, and increasing follow-up care for patients with chronic conditions and infectious diseases.
  • Expanding food access through innovative programs, including clinic-based food pantries and grocery voucher initiatives that integrated nutrition directly into patient care.
  • Completing intensive public health training in trauma-informed care, food insecurity, financial literacy, first aid/CPR, and community asset mapping while gaining hands-on experience serving Allegheny County residents.
  • Becoming certified Community Health Workers and Digital Health Navigators, helping patients navigate Medicare, Medicaid, telehealth platforms, transportation systems, and other essential resources.

"Every National Health Corps member leaves behind something that cannot be measured by numbers alone," said Dr. Vann. "They built trust, strengthened communities, and reminded us that improving health often begins with simply showing up for someone who needs help. That legacy will continue through the people they served and the careers they inspired."

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The Allegheny County Health Department's mission is to protect, promote, and preserve the health and well-being of the more than 1.2 million people who call Allegheny County home.

Media inquiries may be directed to Ronnie Das,
Public Information Officer for the Health Department,
at ronnie.das@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-578-7991.

 

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