The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48066

Julie Williamson, MPH, Partnership for the Public's Health, Public Health Institute, 505 14th St. #810, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-302-3330, jwilliamson@partnershipph.org

The Partnership for the Public's Health (PPH) is a unique, five-year initiative designed to improve community health by fostering partnerships between local health departments and community groups in their respective service areas, to improve the conditions under which people live. Four-year partnership development/health improvement grants were awarded to fourteen local health departments and 39 community groups for one year of joint planning and three years of implementation. With the planning year and one year of action behind them, these local partnerships offer rich learning opportunities for both public health workers and community representatives.

Already apparent are many benefits of these partnerships: increased visibility and political support for local public health programs; creative and more effective interventions to address the broad determinants of health; the potential for catalyzing long-term changes in communities that health departments or community groups alone would not be able to generate, including community groups learning how to leverage resources and gain access to information not previously available and health departments being challenged to respond to community expectations.

This paper identifies four common barriers to collaboration identified to date, and highlights some creative strategies developed by these partnerships to overcome them. These include: 1. Priorities identified by community groups that go outside of the traditional boundaries of public health 2. Building relationships of trust between communities and health departments 3. Local wisdom and local data -- the art and science of setting priorities 4. Community representation and engagement

Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to

• recognize the value of forming sustainable partnerships between health departments and community groups to do assessment and planning
• identify at least three major considerations that health departments should be prepared to address when partnering or collaborating with community residents
• describe at least three creative strategies for overcoming barriers to collaboration

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Community-Based Public Health

Related Web page: www.PartnershipPH.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Public Health Institute
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment