Work

The Los Angeles Healthy Community Neighborhood Initiative: A Ten Year Experience in Building and Sustaining a Successful Community-Academic Partnership

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Developing effective Community-Academic Partnerships (CAPs) is challenging, and the steps to build and sustain them have not been well documented. This paper describes efforts to form and sustain the Healthy Community Neighborhood Initiative (HCNI), a CAP to improve health in a low-income community in South Los Angeles. METHODS: Moderated, semi-structured discussions with HCNI community and academic partners were used to develop a framework for CAP formation. RESULTS: We identified two key features, shared values and respect, as critical to the decision to form the HCNI. Five elements were identified as necessary for building and sustaining the HCNI: trust, transparency, equity and fairness, adequate resources and developing protocols to provide structure. We also identified several challenges and barriers and the strategies used in the HCNI to mitigate these challenges. CONCLUSION: We developed a framework to incorporate and reinforce the key elements identified as crucial in building and sustaining a CAP in a low-income community.

Source: Community Medicine & Public Health Care

DOI: 10.24966/cmph-1978/100007

Author: Keith C Norris

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Community Health and Development

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Partnerships for the goals, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond