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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Monica L. Wendel, MA, MPH, Heather Clark, MSPH, CHES, Angela Alaniz, BA, and James N. Burdine, DrPH. Center for Community Health Development, School of Rural Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1266, 979-845-5774, mwendel@tamu.edu

Community-based participatory research and community-campus partnerships have attracted considerable attention from a variety of organizations and funders. Discussions representing interests of communities and researchers have debated the principles and guidelines for these types of relationships, negotiating the roles of each partner, costs and benefits to each, and what measures of success are appropriate for each. The Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP), serving seven counties in central Texas, is a partnership recognized as a model for both community-campus partnerships and community-based participatory research. The BVHP values the perspective, contribution, and participation of all partners, and each has equal power in decision-making. While initially facilitated by the Center for Community Health Development at the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, the partnership has established an organizational structure that enables self-sufficiency. In this process, community partners representing health and human service organizations, community-based and other public health agencies have negotiated their roles as service providers and advocates for the needs and rights of their clients, measuring success as increased efficiency and capacity to provide quality services to residents of the rural areas of the region. Researchers have negotiated relevant research and evaluation as their role and benefit of participation, as well as being able to document the process as a measure of success. While these roles and measures have evolved over the tenure of the partnership, the BVHP has demonstrated the value of developing local solutions to health issues and become a recognized “best practice” among communities across Texas and the country.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to

• Identify the challenges of community-campus partnerships;
• Describe characteristics of community-based participatory research; and
• Understand different roles and outcomes for community and campus partners.

Keywords: Community Participation, Community-Based Partnership

Related Web page: www.bvhp.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No