1. Transitions of Care

Inside the hospital

Fellows play an important role in supporting patients during and after their hospital stay. Through inpatient rounds with providers and independent patient interactions, Fellows assist with the social aspects of patient care by engaging in meaningful conversations, learning about patients’ backgrounds and personal stories, and providing companionship during what can often be an isolating experience. Fellows also host weekly activities for inpatients, such as arts and crafts and activities encouraging social engagement as a way of promoting emotional well-being during recovery.

By fostering positive interactions, Fellows not only help improve the emotional well-being of patients but also encourage a more holistic approach to care, addressing both medical and social needs. This involvement helps build trust between patients and the care team, creating a supportive and comforting environment.

Transition to Home and Community

The transition from hospital to home is one of the most difficult processes in healthcare, often leading to breakdowns in care, frustration, and poor outcomes. Patients frequently go from high levels of support to feeling isolated and alone. Fellows help bridge this gap through the Hale County Hospital Health Partners Program, where they are paired with 6-8 "health partners" throughout the year to provide social and emotional support.

Acting as Health Partners, Fellows assist patients in navigating complex discharge instructions, attending follow-up appointments, accessing social services, and managing daily life challenges. Responsibilities include*:

• Conducting home visits and providing critical social and emotional support

• Attending medical appointments with patients

• Assisting with budgeting and financial management

• Providing local transportation

• Offering encouragement and support towards healthy behaviors

• Supporting families and caregivers

Fellows also strengthen follow-up care by calling recently discharged patients, with a focus on those who are elderly, have limited social support, or are managing complex health conditions. These efforts help reduce hospital readmissions and improve patient outcomes.

*It is essential to understand that the role of a Health Partner is solely as a caring, responsible layperson neighbor and volunteer providing social, relational, and other neighborly support, with no provision of medical or professional advice or care.

2. Youth Programming

Fellows help lead the Hale County Hospital High School Scholars Program, a twice-weekly after-school program for high school students interested in healthcare careers. Through interactive sessions, students learn about careers in healthcare, human health sciences, clinical skills, and community health. Programming includes:

• Hands-on activities and discussions

• Job shadowing opportunities

• Service-learning experiences

• College visits

As the hospital expands its youth programming, Fellows will maintain relationships with local education leaders, including principals and teachers, and may assist with in-school volunteering.

3. Operational, Programmatic, and Strategic Initiatives

Fellows support hospital leadership by assisting with operational, programmatic, and strategic initiatives. Hands on learning opportunities include:

• Attending leadership team meetings

• Assisting with strategic initiatives

• Supporting hospital operations and projects

• Assisting with coordinating rotations for MD/DO, PA, and NP students across various specialties, as well as helping orient and support visiting students

Fellows also play a key role in hospital communications and public engagement by:

• Writing the weekly “Hospital Corner” articles for the Greensboro Watchman

• Helping manage the hospital’s social media presence

• Contributing to the hospital website and annual newsletter

• Assisting with donor relations, philanthropy, and fundraising initiatives

• Helping with the annual Main Street Community Festival

Building relationships within the hospital is essential. Fellows engage with hospital staff across departments—clinics, home health, physical therapy, and administration—to gain a deeper understanding of the roles within a rural hospital.

Due to other responsibilities during the week, Fellows should expect that some administrative tasks may need to be completed on Saturdays or evenings.

4. Community Engagement 

Each week, Fellows dedicate a half-day to volunteering with a local organization, such as a civic group, business, government agency, or nonprofit. Past Fellows have worked with Project Horseshoe Farm, Hale County Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hale County Public Schools, Hale County Jail, and Auburn Rural Studio

This component fosters an understanding of local efforts to improve the community, strengthens relationships between the hospital and community organizations, and enhances communication and collaboration.

Fellows also attend periodic evening and weekend community events, including social gatherings, potlucks, and civic meetings, to build relationships and immerse themselves in the local culture. Community engagement extends beyond structured volunteering, as Fellows actively reach out to and develop connections with local organizations, businesses, and individuals.

5. Education and Mentorship

Fellows will begin each day with a morning meeting with the Director of Experiential Learning to review the day's agenda, discuss plans, and receive guidance on programming and collaboration with health partners. In addition, they will collaborate with our partner organization, Project Horseshoe Farm, and participate in weekly Monday night discussions alongside Community Health Fellows. These discussions will explore assigned readings on community health, health systems, and health policy, providing Fellows with a deeper understanding of key healthcare issues.

Fellows will also engage in PORTCH Friday lunch sessions and community visits, designed to enhance their knowledge and connections within the community, focusing on:

• People – getting to know a range of local people and leaders in the community.

• Organizations – getting to know a range of local organizations in the community

• Relationships – build, develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with others in the community.

• Team building – participate in team building activities to help support our effective function as a team.

• Culture/Community – learn about the local culture of the community and other aspects of the community.

• History – learn about the local history of the community.

Because Fellows engage in such a broad range of activities, it is easier to describe a typical Fellow week than a typical day.  Please keep in mind that every year is different, and each year inevitably brings new challenges and new and unexpected circumstances. 

A sample weekly schedule can be found here.

• 14 hours/week Transitions of Care

  • Volunteering with 6-8 “health partners” (building relationships and providing a consistent, caring, and supportive relationship, providing home visits, attending medical appointments with health partners, helping navigate health and social services systems, health coaching (diet, exercise, etc), support to family, help with budgeting and finances, providing some local transportation, etc.). Fellows also have regularly scheduled meetings with the Director of Experiential Learning to discuss their health partners and to receive ongoing teaching and supervision. 

  • Visiting admitted patients in the hospital, both with providers and independently. Fellows assist with the social aspects of patient care by engaging in meaningful conversations, learning about patients’ backgrounds and personal stories, and providing companionship during what can often be an isolating experience. 

  • Calling recently discharged patients, with special attention to those who meet the criteria of being elderly and/or with high complexity (low social support, many medications, potential lack of transportation, etc.). The calls are meant to strengthen follow-up care for patients who are susceptible to readmission.

• 12 hours/week Youth Programming

  • Organizing and directing a twice a week after-school program for local high school students. Students will learn about careers in healthcare, the science of human health, clinical skills, and community health. Programming involves a variety of interactive activities, job shadowing, and discussions

  • Volunteering with high school technical center programs for students interested in health careers.

• 14 hours/week Administrative and Strategic Initiatitives

  • Collaborating with the leadership team to understand hospital operations, strategic initiatives, and support related projects

  • Assisting with internal and external communications, including outreach and public relations

    • Writing weekly “Hospital Corner” articles for the Greensboro Watchman and help with the social media, hospital website, and annual newsletter

    • Representing the hospital while building relationships within the local community

    • Engaging with hospital staff, foster connections, and assist with the monthly employee newsletter

    • Supporting philanthropy efforts, donor relations, and fundraising initiatives

  • Due to other responsibilities during the week, Fellows should expect that some of this planning, administrative work, or operations work will have to occur on Saturdays or in evenings.

• 4 hours/week Community Engagement 

  • Volunteering a half-day each week with a local organization, such as a civic group, business, government agency, or nonprofit. Past Fellows have volunteered with Project Horseshoe Farm, Hale County Emergency Medical Services, Hale County Public Schools, Hale County Jail, and Auburn Rural Studio. 

  • This component seeks to foster an understanding of local efforts to improve the community, strengthen relationships between the hospital and community organizations, and enhance communication and collaboration.

• 12 hours/week Education and Mentorship

  • 4 hours/week participating in individual and group discussions with the Director of Experiential Learning, Hospital Leadership Team, and Department Heads. 

  • 1 hour/week of assigned readings in preparation for Monday Discussions.

  • 3 hours/week participating in Monday Discussion.

  • 5 hours/week – PORTCH Fridays including lunch speakers and visits in the community that focus on:

    • People - getting to know a range of local people and leaders in the community.

    • Organizations - getting to know a range of local organizations in the community

    • Relationships - build, develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with others in the community.

    • Team Building - participate in team building activities to help support our effective function as a team.

    • Culture/Community - learn about the local culture of the community and other aspects of the community.

    • History - learn about the local history of the community

• Direct volunteer service and support to others 

  Fellows have the opportunity to learn about and deepen habits of citizenship service leadership by working closely with and providing volunteer support to their vulnerable neighbors in collaboration with local healthcare organizations,  schools and teachers, housing programs/nursing homes, and community center programs. With the support and mentorship of hospital leadership, Fellows gain a deeper understanding of the value of humanity and relationships in service and the important psychological, social, and community factors that contribute to health and quality of life among vulnerable people.  Furthermore, Fellows learn about how volunteering their service to vulnerable neighbors relates to leadership in a community, and how this type of leadership can strengthen communities and improve community health.

• Become immersed within a community 

  The Fellowship provides an excellent opportunity to see and begin to understand the relations of different people and processes in a community. Fellows are able to learn about and support local institutions, as well as being encouraged to visit with and get to know their local neighbors, leaders, participants, partners, and other members of the community.

  Through these experiences Fellows should be able to appreciate diverse local values and the contributions of different members of the community. They should also learn about the important relationship between community involvement and engagement and community based service work.  Finally, they should begin to appreciate their own role, impact, and responsibilities as citizen service leaders in the context of  a local  community. 

• Gain management, operations, and leadership skills 

  Fellows gain valuable experience by learning about and being involved in many facets of the operations of a growing community hospital and its initiatives.  This includes everything from learning about budgets, finances, and strategy, to helping with new Fellow and Intern recruitment and outreach, to helping with  management and teaching of interns, to helping with fundraising and development, to helping with engagement and relationships with existing and new organizational partners and constituents, to participating in organization, upkeep, maintenance, and cleaning of facilities. Through these activities, Fellows will gain important operational, management, and leadership skills and experience that will help them more deeply understand and prepare for the leadership roles  in professional, civic, and public service realms that are involved in citizen service leadership.

• Strengthen teamwork skills 

  Teamwork is critical to almost any effective community  initiative and working with teams towards a common purpose and mission can be one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences a person can have. 

  Fellows work very closely day to day with other Hospital Fellows, hospital leadership, and community partners. We are specifically looking for Fellows with strong teamwork skills and a desire to work closely in a team environment.

• Learn about community health, health systems, and health policy.

  Fellows gain real  world experience through immersion in these systems.  They also participate in weekly readings and discussions, and receive ongoing teaching to help them gain a deeper contextual understanding of these complex systems.

• Meet other leaders  

  Fellows have the opportunity to meet various leaders from business, government, philanthropy, healthcare, community organizations, and other sectors who regularly come to visit, who partner with, or who come speak with Hale County Hospital and our partner organization Project Horseshoe Farm.

Because of the generosity of donors and their desire to help and support promising young people who willingly choose to make a personal sacrifice in pursuit of a year of volunteer service and learning, we are able to offer the Fellowship without tuition or charge to Fellows.

To help Fellows partially offset educational costs related to their year of volunteer service and learning, our partner organization Project Horseshoe Farm provides housing and utilities free of charge to Fellows and an educational grant/transportation reimbursement that is intended to help Fellows partially offset other basic living costs and their significant transportation costs related to the Fellowship. Finally, we are able to provide a small relocation grant to each Fellow to help partially offset their costs of moving.

Hospital Fellows receive an educational grant of approximately $880/month ($600/month to help partially offset basic living expenses related the Fellowship and $280/month to help partially offset gas/transportation expenses related to the Fellowship and the extensive use of Fellows’ own vehicles for transportation of participants).

We invite applicants from the full spectrum of majors and backgrounds who have an interest in and the potential for community-based citizen service leadership.Though academic credentials will be taken into consideration, we seek individuals who have positive personal characteristics, including the following:

• Strong relationship building, social skills, communication skills, teamwork skills

• Initiative, self directed, hard working, willingness to go above and beyond

• Flexibility, resilience, creativity, and able to take on new challenges and solve problems

• Empathic, good with a wide range of people, caring, strong service orientation

• High energy, positive attitude

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow through

• Curious and eager to learn, able to receive and learn from feedback.

• Strong teaching skills and interest in teaching.

• Maturity, professionalism, high character, integrity, and judgment

• Alignment with Values and Approach of Hale County Hospital

We accept applications on a rolling basis. The priority deadline for the 2025-2026 Hale County Hospital Fellowship Class is February 15, 2025 @ 11:59 PM CST. The final deadline is April 30, 2025 @ 11:59 CST.

After an initial review process of each application, qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an initial interview with one of our current Fellows. After these interviews, a second group of applicants will be invited to schedule an interview with a member of the hospital leadership team followed by a final interview with our CEO. The selection committee will then discuss each application and notify each applicant (typically within 60 days of the application deadline in which the applicant applied) whether they will be offered a position in the Fellowship class.  If you are offered a position in the Fellowship class, to be fair to other applicants, you will have only a few days to decide whether to commit to the position. 

To be fully transparent, to try to set realistic and accurate expectations about the Fellowship, and to try to set everyone up for success, we invite and strongly encourage applicants to arrange a time during the application and selection process to speak with at least one of our current Fellows.  Fellows are happy to openly share their experiences during the Fellowship and to answer any questions you might have.  We also ask you to carefully read and understand this “Frequently Asked Questions” and “Values: Who We Are” document.