(Los Angeles, CA – June 10, 2024) On May 21, Eisner Health welcomed 100 emancipated foster youth to our flagship location in downtown Los Angeles in partnership with iFoster (www.ifoster.org to begin training for in-person internships. This internship was made possible through the Public Health AmeriCorps Program (created by the CDC) to support programs that recruit, train, and nurture the next generation of public health leaders.
About the Internship: All interns are foster youth aged 18 – 24 who are transitioning out of the foster care system. Most are enrolled in college or certificate courses in a health-related field and desire a career in health care.
The internship program began in January, with the interns supporting Eisner Health operations remotely, and June marks their transition to supporting our operations onsite at all seven of our health center locations.
Through the CDC grant to iFoster, all interns receive a stipend, with each intern providing a maximum of 100 hours/month. Upon successful completion of the program, they will also receive a $3,600 educational scholarship.
These 100 iFoster interns are working directly with Eisner Health staff on projects that include, but are not limited to, call center support, outreach and enrollment, time studies of patient wait times, referrals to specialty care, and analyzing quality improvement data. During the internship, they also participate in weekly professional development sessions. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, including leadership, communications, social and professional skills, financial literacy, healthcare 101, healthcare education planning and certifications, and career exploration. These sessions are designed to equip the interns with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their future careers in the health care sector.
History of Partnership: The partnership with Eisner Health and iFoster began in 2021 when iFoster connected us with 300 of their foster youth to provide vaccine scheduling within Eisner Health’s virtual call center. Through their support, these interns scheduled over 60,000 COVID-19 vaccination appointments, confirmed over 75,000 clinic appointments, and called over 125,000 patients to inform them about vaccinations, Medi-Cal redeterminations, and the need for annual or follow-up health appointments.
Why Partnership is so Important: There are currently, 60,000 foster youth in California, and over half live in Los Angeles County. Within four years of aging out of foster care, 50% will be unemployed, those employed will only earn an average of $7,500/year, 50% will experience homelessness, and 70% will receive government assistance. By creating job training and exposure to health care jobs, we can support smart and talented young adults toward a life of self-sufficiency.
“We are incredibly proud to be able to empower current foster youth to support their peers while at the same time providing a pathway to stable careers,” said Serita Cox, iFoster’s Co-Founder & CEO. “This model can be replicated across all states, and we are actively working with AmeriCorps to duplicate.”
“Eisner Health is excited to work with iFoster to launch the Public Health AmeriCorps program in Los Angeles,” said Monica Gutierrez-McCarthy, Eisner Health’s Interim CEO + COO. “By leveraging Eisner Health’s extensive experience in providing quality healthcare services to underprivileged communities, we can collaboratively address the pressing public health needs of L.A. County while empowering foster youth to achieve living-wage public health careers. This partnership highlights the significant impact that can be made when organizations work together to create pathways for service-minded individuals in the crucial field of public health.”
The 10-month internship will end September 30, at which point we hope to offer some of the interns full or part-time jobs at Eisner Health. In addition, a certificate ceremony for all interns upon completion of the program will be held in October. While the internship ends this fall, the success that comes from the program will help drive future funding and a continuation of this innovative public health program.