Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST) Model: Building university and community partnerships and coalitions for international programs

Purpose:

The University of Michigan School of Public Health (UMSPH) and University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health are piloting a university partnership model, Public Health Action Support Team (PHAST), that facilitates global public health practice and training of master of public health (MPH) students in Grenada, West Indies. Students from both institutions will collaboratively provide technical capacity to at least three community driven projects in Grenada. The findings of the partnership model will be reviewed. Lessons learned will be highlighted and disseminated to inform academic partnerships for global public health practice and training.

Methods:

Two mentored group field experiences for MPH students will take place in March, 2015. (UMSPH completes the first trip and UIC departs three weeks later.) The two universities, together with our community partners and the Government of Grenada, maintain ongoing communication throughout each institution’s pre-departure planning activities, project implementation, and post experience follow up to ensure project continuity and increased capacity. Qualitative data from the university program leadership team, partner sites, Grenadian Government officials, and students will be collected and analyzed to ascertain the lessons learned and success of the university partnership model.

Results:

To be determined. Project implementation occurs in March.

Recommendations and/or policy implications:

The hypothesized impact proposes the PHAST Model fosters sustainable projects of greater impact to community partners within resource-limited settings. Our partners in Grenada will incorporate the technical assistance and support provided into their operations. This university partnership model could be replicated among other universities working internationally.