Coalition Synergy and Sustainability: An exemplar San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign

A 2010 IOM report recommends increased public awareness about hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) who are disproportionately affected by HBV and burdened with approximately 80% of all liver cancers. Approximately 1 in 10 API are infected with HBV. Approximately 32% of San Francisco's population identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander. The Greater San Francisco Bay Area has the highest concentration of API's in the nation (23%) and San Francisco has the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation. In 2007, the SF Hep B Free coalition launched a public awareness campaign addressing HBV infection in the Asian and Pacific Islander in San Francisco, California. It is estimated that approximately half of partnerships formed fail in the first year. Coalitions, or community partnerships, represent one of the major innovations that respond directly to local health care needs and enable many agencies to accomplish what a single agency is unable or unwilling to do alone. Many funding agencies require collaboration with diverse community members as a condition of support. This study describes interviews with 13 stakeholders representing large organizations that included the health department, the hospital council, private hospitals, outpatient clinics, teaching institutions and state and local government agencies involvement in the SF Hep B Free campaign. The purpose of the interviews was to determine initial engagement of organizations involved in the campaign, how involvement was sustained and to understand the strengths and challenges of this ambitious campaign. Concepts of synergy and sustainability are discussed.