207805 Eliminating women's health disparities through Academic-Community Partnerships (ACP)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009: 1:30 PM

Nancy Milliken, MD , National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Dixie Horning , National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Judy Young, MPH , National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Ellen Goldstein, MA , National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Annemarie Charlesworth, MA , National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
  
Background: The ACP model capitalizes on the National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health (CoE) network. By supporting partnerships between these academic health centers and community organizations, we explored the challenges and power of these partnerships in creating new health programs for women and girls in underserved communities.

Purpose: The ACP model acknowledges communities often know their health needs and can inform their solutions but lack resources to address them. Academia may have expertise and resources but be unfamiliar with the community. Partnered together, they can strengthen their potential to impact women's health. This model provided a framework and support for these partnerships to launch successful women's health programs.

Methods: The ACP model comprised a three-year capacity building program providing financial support and hands-on technical assistance (TA). Eligible partnerships attended a pre-application convening and received feedback on their proposal. A committee of academic and community representatives selected proposals through a competitive process. TA to funded partners targeted partnership and program development, evaluation, dissemination, and sustainability.

Results: Seven ACPs were funded; six successfully implemented their projects focused on domestic violence in rural areas, women with disabilities, health disparities for women of color, youth obesity prevention, intergenerational Latina health and educational attainment, and post-hurricane stress in New Orleans.

Discussion: The pre-application convening and hands-on TA proved critical for success. The three year funding model and encouragement of adaptive program design was important for program development in their formative stages. Thus, academic community partnerships launched programs impacting the intended populations and broader culture.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify core components of a successful academic community partnership and overcome potential barriers; and 2. Describe ways in which the combined resources of an academic community partnership can enhance women’s health in your community.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Vice-Dean of the School of Medicine, Director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, and the Principal Investigator of this initiative.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Eliminating Health Disparities through Partnerships, Policy, and Public Health Practice
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