Brooklyn health disparities center: A case study in government, community/ academic partnership

Brooklyn Health Disparities Center (BHDC), a collaboration between Arthur Ashe Institute, SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, was formed in 2004, and received an additional NIH grant in 2012, with the long-term objectives to foster community engaged research that contributes to the elimination of racial/ethnic disparities in Brooklyn, New York and to disseminate the ensuing clinically and community defined evidence-based health findings among academic, community, and policy stakeholders. This center's methodology focuses on utilizing resources in the community (including barbers, hair stylists, community based organizations, and churches) as messengers of health information. BHDC aims to 1) establish a dynamic research infrastructure that fosters community-engaged research collaborations among SUNY Downstate's five colleges, AAIUH, and its community partners in Brooklyn; 2) conduct methodologically rigorous community-engaged research on high priority topics in Brooklyn, NY (i.e. HIV and Cardiometabolic diseases); 3) continue to foster and strengthen local community partnerships to develop community-engaged research initiatives and disparity reducing policy initiatives; and 4) train high school, undergraduate, and graduate level underrepresented minorities (URM) to address health disparities in Brooklyn by employing community engaged approaches. BHDC provides a safe site for researchers to conduct community-based studies and to disseminate information to the community that is accurate, culturally congruent and reflects the latest advances in knowledge for the reduction of disparities in targeted areas. Presentation will address the importance of and the complexities associated with the engagement of community partners in developing the Center.