Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115973

Brenda D. Hayes, DSW, MPH, MSW, OSP/CHPM, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, 404-756-5794, bhayes@msm.edu

Morehouse School of Medicine has focused on building community and academic partnerships in low-income, predominately African American sections within Atlanta's inner city and rural areas of Georgia since 1987. A community based approach to the elimination of health disparities requires the involvement of all sectors in the community including its institutions, community-based organizations, community residents and the business sector. An effective community-academic partnership includes committed community advisory groups composed of community participants forming interconnected networks of community health providers, key community institutions (schools, churches, other organizations, etc.), private industry and consumers. The community partnership resource in the Center of Excellence consists of several components designed to support community outreach, service and research.

The specific aims of community partnership development (CPD) are: • To formalize community partnerships between Morehouse School of Medicine and the other academic institutions of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) and with community and faith-based organizations • To create consumer participant groups that will act as advisors to academic researchers on community-based research projects; and • To advise on the development and distribution of culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive materials and interventions for health focused activities.

To date, service and research activities include the formation of community working groups; grant development, funding opportunities, health screenings and health fairs, community health awareness campaigns, health education, cultural competence activities and health information dissemination. Applying the traditional public health approach to our varied community environments offers one way to begin to tease out, develop and evaluate some of these critical elements.

Learning Objectives:

• To identify and create viable community-academic partnerships
• To enhance the capabiities of community organizations to address health disparities
• To maximize existing relationships among and between community partners

Keywords: Community Development, Partner Involvement

Related Web page: www.msm.edu/EXPORT/cpd.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation