Rutgers Health Service Corps
Promoting the health of our beloved communities through a commitment to service.
On the Front Lines
Rutgers Health Service Corps (RHSC) prepares students, faculty, staff, and community members to positively impact health and wellness across Rutgers and New Jersey. We offer education and service-learning experiences, volunteer opportunities, internships, and high school summer programming—all designed to prepare participants to advance population health and make a tangible impact on health outcomes in the communities we serve.
Our Vision
To be a national model, inspiring the next generation of healthcare and public health heroes to improve the health and equity of our communities.
Narcan kits distributed
Cancer screening kits assembled
Hours of service (2024-2025)
Recipient of The President’s Volunteer Service Award
Making a Difference
Distributing Narcan (Naloxone) Kits
Our members have distributed over 10,000 Narcan kits across Rutgers–New Brunswick, contributing to a safer campus environment by equipping the community with life-saving tools to prevent opioid overdose fatalities.
Promoting Colon Cancer Screening
Corps members have assembled and distributed over 3,000 home stool colon cancer screening kits to patients at Rutgers Health practices, such as the Eric B. Chandler Health Center. This initiative promotes early detection and increases access to preventive care, particularly for underserved populations.
Clearing the 'AIR' about Asthma
In collaboration with Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition, our members educate caregivers and children on asthma awareness and management. The Asthma Corps – Clearing the AIR about Asthma (Awareness, Information, and Resources) program aims to reduce preventable asthma-related deaths and hospitalizations through tailored presentations focusing on asthma prevention, control, and the urgency of care.
Providing Preventive Health Screenings
Our health professions students, guided by faculty mentors from schools such as Pharmacy and Nursing, partner with community organizations to conduct preventive health screenings and educate the community on topics including hypertension, diabetes, nutrition, and cancer. Members both screen for conditions and provide education while building meaningful connections with those they serve. This hands-on experience enables students to develop clinical skills and contribute to improving health outcomes across various NJ communities.
How to Get Involved
College students across Rutgers schools and campuses who are accepted into RHSC receive training and are assigned to one of our signature service-learning projects. Participation requires an active commitment throughout the academic year, including ongoing project involvement and attendance at meetings. Applications become available in the summer before the start of the fall semester.
Colon Cancer FIT Kit Assembly
Support colorectal cancer prevention by assembling FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) kits for at-home screening. Some members may help with tracking patient completion and conducting follow-up outreach to encourage kit return.
Students for Cancer Awareness and Navigating Screenings (SCANS)
Promote cancer screening awareness through hospital-based outreach and education. Members identify eligible patients, explain the importance of early detection, and assist them in navigating available screening options.
Community Health Screening
Support the planning and delivery of community-based screening events for blood pressure, diabetes, and other conditions. Collaborate with school and community partners to provide essential preventive care and health education.
Community Health Worker Appointment Scheduling
Partner with the RWJ Community Health Worker Program to help patients discharged from the emergency department access follow-up care. Members call primary and specialty care offices to assist with scheduling appointments and coordinating services.
Asthma Corps
Empower families and children with asthma management education. Members co-lead interactive workshops covering asthma triggers, medications, inhaler use, and emergency preparedness to help prevent hospitalizations and improve health outcomes.
Narcan Distribution
Enhance community readiness by distributing Narcan (naloxone) nasal spray kits across Rutgers campuses and educating recipients on overdose response.
Join the Reserves
Individuals who are unable to commit to active membership but still wish to contribute can join the service corps reserves listserv to receive notifications about upcoming service opportunities. We regularly share events in collaboration with Rutgers and community partners. These may include volunteering at local food banks, assisting with one-time activities, participating in hygiene drives, and other community service events.
Apply for an Internship
Gain hands-on experience through internship opportunities with RHSC. These roles require a greater level of involvement, commitment, and experience than active membership and offer Rutgers students more specialized project-based work. Interns engage more deeply with the service corps' mission and contribute meaningfully to its impact.
Join the High School Summer Program
High school students can get involved with Rutgers Health Service Corps through the Population Health Outreach and Education for Next generation Impact and eXcellence (PHOENIX) Program. PHOENIX introduces participants to the health professions, population health, community service, and the service corps mission. Students who complete the program may have the opportunity to engage in select service corps activities alongside college members during the academic year.
The application period for the PHOENIX Summer Program will reopen in spring 2026.
The service corps is led by the Office of Population Health, within the Office of Clinical and Health Affairs.
All Rutgers students are welcome to apply to participate in RHSC service-learning opportunities as an active member. Members will be accepted based on interests and experience, ability to think critically and work in interprofessional teams, and a desire to serve the community. Service hours may count as credits toward a student's degree, depending on their program and its requirements.
Faculty, staff, community members, or individuals unable to commit consistent hours can join the service corps reserves volunteer listserv at any time to receive updates on upcoming volunteer opportunities. To be added, please contact rhsc@rbhs.rutgers.edu.
Active corps members are expected to complete 5–10 hours of service per week, depending on their assigned projects throughout the academic year (not including winter, spring, and summer breaks).
Service corps reserves have no set requirements and may sign up for volunteer opportunities at their convenience.
Service corps interns are required to complete 20 hours of work per week and must be on-site in New Brunswick at least twice a week.
PHOENIX program participants (rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors) must attend all five days of the summer program, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Applications open each August for active membership, offering students the opportunity to participate in service-learning projects during the upcoming academic year.
Volunteers may join the service corps reserves listserv at any time by contacting rhsc@rbhs.rutgers.edu.
Social media internship applications become available at the start of each fall and spring semester. Leadership internship applications become available each Spring.
Applications for the high school summer PHOENIX Program become available early spring.
We welcome new ideas, partnerships, and opportunities for service. To connect, please contact rhsc@rbhs.rutgers.edu.
Launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rutgers VAX Corps recruited health professionals, students, and faculty from Rutgers Health and the university and played a key role in vaccination efforts. These included vaccine administration and support for vaccine clinics which helped protect our diverse Rutgers communities, addressing health equity gaps, and serving the most vulnerable populations in Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, and beyond.
The service corps is the post-pandemic extension of the VAX Corps and aims to build upon its success by providing our members with unique training and a multitude of health and wellness service activities.