City councilwoman lends time to W&J as AmeriCorps volunteer

Created: September 4, 2017  |  Last Updated: January 14, 2020  |  Category:   |  Tagged:

WASHINGTON, PA (Sept. 4, 2017)—The greater Washington area and Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) are coming together in a new way to care for the community.

Through the AmeriCorps PACC-VISTA (Pennsylvania Campus Compact—Volunteer in Service to America) program, city councilwoman Monda Williams is positioned at W&J to train students through the Volunteer Community Health Coach Program (VCHCP). This W&J program supports the Jefferson Regional Medical Center of the Allegheny Health Network as part of the Community Care Network. The VCHCP began in spring 2014 and focuses on reducing preventable admissions and readmissions of chronically ill patients to hospitals in the southwestern Pennsylvania region through weekly in-home visits by W&J student volunteers.

During her one-year term of service, Williams will work directly with student volunteers as the program coordinator to help them understand the process, connect them with clients, and provide them with the support to succeed. She’s also working with W&J’s Director of Community Engagement, Justin Dandoy, to develop a future administrative structure for the program.

Williams has a background in healthcare and previously worked at The Ohio State University Medical Center. She enjoys working with the students in various disciplines and passing on her knowledge.

“As a representative of the City of Washington, being a PACC-VISTA hosted by W&J is important to me because it is reflective of my continuous dedication to volunteerism and public service,” Williams said. “I have only been working with the Volunteer Student Health Coaches for a short while, but so far it has been a valuable learning experience.”

Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Eva Chatterjee-Sutton speaks highly of the VISTA program and the work that volunteers through the program have done.

“The VISTA has been a tremendous asset to this program in supporting a continuing partnership with Jefferson Hospital and our students. The growth and success of the program is directly related to the high caliber work our staff members who have served as VISTA volunteers with us and the work they have done with the students in the role,” Chatterjee-Sutton said.

About Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.

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