LANSING–Beginning earlier this month, we are featuring a member of our MPCA AmeriCorps (HealthCorps) team. Service members are dedicated individuals who have a strong desire to make a difference in their community, possess a strong commitment to helping others, and seek to serve medically underserved populations.
For more information about the MPCA AmeriCorps (HealthCorps) Program, please click on the link and apply today!
Getting to Know Team Member Erin Burgess of The Wellness Plan, Pontiac office at the LightHouse.
Strictly Business
- What led you to AmeriCorps? I am a full-time student at Oakland University. OU sent out an email to the College of Arts and Science students about a virtual job/internship fair. I usually delete those emails and I did with this one too, but I quickly hit the “undo” button, read through it and decided to sign up for a few of the companies represented at the fair–one of those being AmeriCorps. Being one year away from graduating with my bachelor’s degree in psychology and knowing that when applying to a graduate school they look to see leadership skills and community-based internships, I was pretty amazed when it all worked out that I was chosen for an interview and was hired to be a service member for AmeriCorps at a clinic close to my home.
- What’s one thing that surprised you about serving with AmeriCorps? This is my first month with AmeriCorps. The start here has been a little slow for me for being implemented into the flow of the clinic at the moment, (but) knowing the many aspects I can help with eventually is exciting. Being able to make a difference in plugging people back into their primary care appointments so their health issues can be properly cared for is a surprising and exciting prospect of getting to be an integral part of helping people in the community in that way.
- What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of? I went through several lists comprising over 300 patients to see who had not seen their primary care provider (PCP) in over three months. I wasn’t yet able to make the calls to the people from those lists who fit that criteria, but a call was made to one of them and I was told that a patient that was checked in for his appointment, was from the list of people I determined needed to be called for an appointment to come in. It was a pretty great feeling realizing that this patient being in the clinic that day was because we took the time to research and determine he needed to come in, a call was made, and he came in for an appointment.
A Little More Personal
- What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I am a 45-year-old student at Oakland University who will be working toward my master’s degree to become a licensed master social worker. It was at first intimidating thinking of being among the oldest student population going back to school, but I was pleasantly surprised that when we were in face-to-face classes before COVID, there were usually about three older students than me in each of my classes.
- What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day? Watching food cooking shows on Discovery +. Right now I am enjoying episodes of Guy’s Grocery Games.
- What’s your guilty pleasure? Chocolate. Milk or dark, doesn’t matter. They are all pretty yummy to me.
Just For Fun
- If you could only eat one item for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Vegetables. I know it sounds unbelievable but I have dealt with health issues that after enough research in figuring them out, I would never want to go back to eating unhealthy. What you eat affects so many areas of your body in many different ways. So, definitely, veggies for me! With hummus, preferably.
- What’s your favorite sport to watch and which team do you root for? Football and basketball is just fun to watch, but I don’t really have a favorite team. However, my truly favorite sport to watch is volleyball. I love playing it and watching it–no favorite team.
- What’s the top destination on your must-visit list? A long time ago, I went on a trip to the US Virgin Islands. That was the first time I snorkeled at Cinnamon Bay on St. John’s Island. It’s such a beautiful area down there, I’d love to go back again.
Goals and more
- Where do you hope to be in your professional career five years from now? In five years I hope to be a one-on-one therapist as a licensed master social worker. With the many different paths my life has taken me, I feel my life experience and school work will make me a well-rounded therapist. I look forward to people being able to discover that their past does not define them and they are never too young or too old to make important changes in their lives.
- This program centers on service, so can you describe your community service in other aspects of your life? You must like to help others? In Lapeer County where I am from, I had volunteered for an organization for two years to fill out intakes for people who called in needing assistance with bills, rent, groceries, meals, household items, etc. I enjoyed the work I did there. I also previously worked with Family Focus Mentors in Lapeer County to work with families that were in a situation of dealing with child protective services to help the parents with basic skills to provide for their children how to cook meals, clean their house, provided transportation to appointments, and checked in with them weekly. I did this volunteer work for about a year. Currently, being a full-time student at Oakland University, having recently moved to the Oakland County area, and with COVID, I have not done as much community service as I would like. I was recently asked to join a national honor fraternity at OU and I look forward to being able to work with the community in different ways through that venue.
- What are your specific duties at The Wellness Plan? It has been a little slow with finding my place and service work here. However, I’ve been training to help with any needs in the COVID vaccination area of the clinic and help with reengagement of patients back in to their regularly scheduled primary care provider visits.
- How will your learned skills working with AmeriCorps help you in your everyday life and improve your next job performance? I am hoping once I begin personally talking with patients here at TWP, that is beginning to help them with getting in to see their PCP. After learning what other needs they may have, I can help them get plugged in to community resources if they are in need. Speaking with people and getting to listen to them describe where they are at and what they need help with, I am hoping my listening skills will be further developed for the therapist I look forward to being in the future.
- How do you juggle AmeriCorps and college classes while making time for your family? The struggle is real! But I schedule out my hours needed for AmeriCorps with my classes for my last year at OU and do my best to squeeze in family time. With full time classes though at the senior level, it is not easy but I know that every day and every class gets me closer to my goal of being done with school and getting to enjoy what my passion is and more family time.
- What do you love about working as an AmeriCorps member? I think I will love speaking with patients to see what their needs are and how they can be helped to get back to routine care. I enjoyed doing intakes at the other organization and I am thinking I will feel the same about speaking with patients here for The Wellness Plan.
- What’s the best advice you would give someone who is thinking about joining the MPCA AmeriCorps (HealthCorps) program? Planning and scheduling your time needed for the AmeriCorps hours, your classes (if going to college), and balancing family time take some finesse but don’t forget to make time for yourself as well. Your mental health is super important so you can be the best you can be in every aspect of your community service work, school, family life.
- Feel free to add anything else! I am a mom to two wonderful daughters, ages 18 and 23. I also have to great stepsons ages 14 and 16.