An Academic-Community Partnership to Conduct a Community Health Equity Assessment among Latinos in Wyandotte County, Kansas

This paper focuses on the unique nature of a project and partnership that adapted and implemented the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) assessments. It was unique as it was led by community organizations, not the local Public Health Department. The aim of this project (one of ten CDC REACH CORE funded projects) was to implement the MAPP process in the Latino community in Kansas City, KS. The partnership consisted of the KU Work Group for Community Health and Development, the Latino Health for All Coalition in Kansas City, KS, El Centro Inc., the Health Department of Wyandotte County, and the KU Department of Preventive Medicine. The Latino Health for All Coalition, which has been actively engaged in improving conditions that promote health among Latinos, was a key contributor to the process. The mobilization and assessment process comprised several key components, including: the creation of a clear vision and mission, implementation of four assessments (Community Strengths and Themes, Local Public Health System Assessment, Community Health Status, Opportunities and Threats), development of a logic model and a strategic and action plan adapted for the Latino community. Using CBPR methods, the partnership adapted the MAPP assessments to focus on health equity and health disparities among the Latino community. Results paint a picture of a county of contradictions – lowest health rankings in the state, high levels of economic development during the recession, rapid demographic shifts, good jobs held by non-residents and many other contradictory forces.