Increasing Access and Equity: Strategic Partnerships, Combinations and Permutations and Disruptive Innovation

Lutheran Medical Center and Lutheran Family Health Network FQHC sponsor the largest CODA accredited postdoctoral residency training program in the world with close to 350 residents practicing in 25 states and internationally. There are 7 postdoctoral programs within a distributed educational model.  Residents practice fulltime in a unique and innovative educational model, geographically distributed; and dependent on the success of strategic partnerships with multiple health care institutions and entities to assure sustainability.  These include academic health centers, FQHCs, IHS, correctional health, AHEC, health departments and other agencies.  Partnerships rely on entities with similar missions and satisfaction of mutual needs.  Importantly the establishment of these multiple models relies on the conceptual basis of disruptive innovation in education.  Through innovative models that will be described and the use of distance learning, increased oral health access; manpower; and service learning initiatives are disseminated to patient populations most in need at reduced cost.

The presentation describes the survey results of over 200 partnerships including positive characteristics and barriers encountered in coalition building. Effective public health programs rely on disruptive innovation and interplay of effective management; communication; technical resources; political commitment to mission and sustainable partnerships.

Public health is increasingly complex with both public and private partnerships critical to improving oral health.  Coalitions willing to support increasing access to oral health are essential for progress. Community health coalitions suggest that accepting collective responsibility and mutual accountability leads to successful partnership building.  Partnerships remain a significant strategy to achieve sustainability of programs, particularly during difficult budgetary times.