Workforce

National Health Service Corps Ambassador Program

The National Health Service Corps is a federal program committed to improving the health of the Nation's underserved.

The NHSC Ambassador Program is a membership organization comprised of a dedicated group of volunteers on campuses and in communities across the Nation. These volunteers, or “Ambassadors,” work in partnership with the NHSC to improve the health of the Nation’s underserved. Ambassadors self-identify as either Campus-based, Community-based, or both. Together, these Ambassadors provide a “Continuum of Support” for students and clinicians who are dedicated to providing uncompromised healthcare services to areas across the country that lack an adequate number of healthcare providers.

Ambassadors promote primary care careers in service to the underserved and understand what it takes to both enter into this field and to sustain a career in it. Ambassadors link students and clinicians with volunteer and employment opportunities that match their career interest, and hold brown bag informational meetings to advise students and clinicians on how to enter a career in service to the underserved and how to successfully sustain their career once it is established.

Campus-based Ambassadors help to prepare and train students and clinicians to work in health professional shortage areas and bring students and clinicians who are interested in primary care together to foster discussion, share resources, and arrange training opportunities. Ambassadors’ direct link to communities and to the NHSC can help students arrange challenging and meaningful community-based training opportunities. They also can use their experience and knowledge of working in underserved communities to advise and support students and clinicians who have a desire to work in such areas. Students and clinicians can utilize Ambassadors as a source of information, as well as obtain insight and guidance to aid their efforts of being a successful clinician in an underserved area. Ambassadors can champion the need for primary care in underserved communities and highlight the importance of this career track either on campus or in the community. In addition, students and clinicians can look to Ambassadors as an example on how to advocate for primary care.

Ambassadors serve as speakers at NHSC events and meetings, educate the local community and/or campus about service to the underserved and promote the concept of “Healthier Communities”, and participate in National Primary Care Week activities.

Your University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences ambassador is Mary Amundson, MA and can be contacted at 701-777-4018 or mamundson@medicine.nodak.edu

For further information on the Ambassador Program go to the NHSC website at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/ambassadors/