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...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
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
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205986612500007X/type/journal_article
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850025150622203904
author 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
author_facet 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
author_sort Reimund Serafica
collection DOAJ
description 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.
format Article
id doaj-art-c968634cd5674b71914dbca33034b4bd
institution DOAJ
issn 2059-8661
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
spelling doaj-art-c968634cd5674b71914dbca33034b4bd2025-08-20T03:00:55ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612025-01-01910.1017/cts.2025.7Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach teamReimund Serafica0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6875-5168Lorraine S. Evangelista1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1708-4186Tony Ward2Jeffery Peterson3Joseph Guerrero Lopez4Julie Lucero5Esther Erdei6Kathryn L. Braun7Andrea Bersamin8Jenifer Thomas9J.D. Wulfhorst10Cheryl Jorcyk11Rebecca Palacios12Judith Owens-Manley13Elizabeth Fore14Ann Bertagnolli15Chelsea Bellon16Francisco S. Sy17School of Nursing and Mountain West CTR-IN, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USAMountain West CTR-IN, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USASchool of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USASchool of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USADepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, NV, Las Vegas, USADepartment of Community Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USAUniversity of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Native Environmental Health Equity Community Engagement and Dissemination Core, Albuquerque, NM, USAOffice of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USADepartment of Biology and Wildlife, Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR), University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, USAFay W Whitney School of Nursing, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USADepartment of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, ID, Boise, USADepartment of Public Health Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USASchool of Social Work, University of AlaskaAnchorage, AK, USAIdaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USAMontana State University, Bozeman, MT, USAWestern Montana Area Health Education Center, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USADepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, NV, Las Vegas, USAThe 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.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205986612500007X/type/journal_articleCommunity-based researchcommunity engagement and outreachacademic-community partnershiphealth inequitiesunderserved communities
spellingShingle 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
Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
Community-based research
community engagement and outreach
academic-community partnership
health inequities
underserved communities
title Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
title_full Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
title_fullStr Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
title_full_unstemmed Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
title_short Collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities: The experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
title_sort collaborating with and enabling diverse communities to address health inequities the experiences of a community engagement and outreach team
topic Community-based research
community engagement and outreach
academic-community partnership
health inequities
underserved communities
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205986612500007X/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT reimundserafica collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT lorrainesevangelista collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT tonyward collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT jefferypeterson collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT josephguerrerolopez collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT julielucero collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT esthererdei collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT kathrynlbraun collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT andreabersamin collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT jeniferthomas collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT jdwulfhorst collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT cheryljorcyk collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT rebeccapalacios collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT judithowensmanley collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT elizabethfore collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT annbertagnolli collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT chelseabellon collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam
AT franciscossy collaboratingwithandenablingdiversecommunitiestoaddresshealthinequitiestheexperiencesofacommunityengagementandoutreachteam