United we stand: The role of an urban university in strengthening community capacity

Issue: The overall poverty rate of West Louisville (WL), Kentucky is 45.2%, nearly three times the rate of Louisville Metro (16.5%). Based on high rates of crime, poverty, and other stress-inducing conditions, it is not surprising that the average life expectancy for WL residents is seven years less than Louisville Metro. Description: The Office of Public Health Practice (OPHP) at the University of Louisville’s School of Public Health was created to mobilize the leadership, organizational relationships, networks, skills, and resources of the School and the University and engage with local community to strengthen Louisville’s capacity to address social determinants of health. OPHP worked with community stakeholders to establish a comprehensive city plan that placed health at the center of the planning process, targeting six factors in WL: health, employment, housing, education, violence, and economic development. In addressing siloed attempts at targeting these issues, OPHP facilitated a process that yielded integration of activities, identification of resources, and potential partnerships that may help address one or more of these social determinants. Lessons Learned: Urban universities are uniquely positioned with assets that provide opportunities to exercise unparalleled capacity for community health improvement. Strengthening community capacity is not only a core institutional goal for most urban universities, but also an ethical obligation. Recommendations: There is great value in expanding the role of urban universities as anchor institutions that facilitate the process of community health planning. A comprehensive assessment of current assets and resources is needed to inform appropriate application of those assets within WL.