Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team

The Mountain West Clinical and Translational Infrastructure Network Community Engagement and Outreach (CEO) Core has fostered academic-community engagement since 2018. States historically receiving lower levels of NIH funding are characterized by significantly higher proportions of rural and remote...

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Main Authors: Reimund Serafica, Lorraine S. Evangelista, Tony Ward, Jeffery Peterson, Joseph Guerrero Lopez, Julie Lucero, Esther Erdei, Kathryn L. Braun, Andrea Bersamin, Jenifer Thomas, J.D. Wulfhorst, Cheryl Jorcyk, Rebecca Palacios, Judith Owens-Manley, Elizabeth Fore, Ann Bertagnolli, Chelsea Bellon, Francisco S. Sy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205986612500007X/type/journal_article
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Summary:The Mountain West Clinical and Translational Infrastructure Network Community Engagement and Outreach (CEO) Core has fostered academic-community engagement since 2018. States historically receiving lower levels of NIH funding are characterized by significantly higher proportions of rural and remote populations, as well as uniquely elevated percentages of Native American/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations compared to most other states. This case study highlights the Core’s efforts in advancing community-engaged research. Key initiatives included forming a CEO Core Steering Committee to recruit interdisciplinary investigators, establishing regional community advisory boards to identify research priorities, and creating a Resource Library and Training Portal for stakeholders. The Core also collaborated with other Cores to provide training, mentorship, and funding for community-engaged research. Despite these achievements, geographical and cultural diversity presented engagement challenges. Regular meetings between investigators and stakeholders ensured bidirectional communication and aligned goals. The Core transformed transactional engagement into meaningful collaboration, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary teams who understand community needs. Future goals include training academic teams, clinical providers, and community members, empowering early-stage investigators to share findings with partners, leveraging health records for research, and developing strategies to protect investigators’ time.
ISSN:2059-8661