MACCHE Launch Panel 1: Community Partnerships

Two panel discussions were held as part of the launch of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Cardiometabolic Health Equity (MACCHE). Each discussion featured healthcare professionals and community advocates from different organizations.  

The first panel focused on the perspectives of organizational partners on important considerations for the success and sustainability of the MACCHE studies. It provided valuable insights into the importance of community health care education and the role of MACCHE in promoting it. The panelists emphasized the need for collaboration, cultural competency, policy changes, supportive environments, and a comprehensive approach to improve community health outcomes.  

Megan Wojtko, the Director of Community Health and Wellness at Choptank Health System, highlighted the significance of community engagement in healthcare education initiatives and the need for collaboration between community organizations, health care providers, and public health officials to ensure that the education programs are effective and accessible to all. 

Wojtke stressed the importance of involving community organizers in ways that harbor trust and instill understanding of how a new program will benefit individuals and organizations, stating “it’s important to ask organizations what types of support they would like to receive.” It must not feel like ‘one more thing’. In addition, staff can have mistrust issues as do patients. We must understand the ‘why’ of the project and it must integrate in a seamless way.” Wojtke also advised researchers to prioritize establishing trust and mutual respect with study participant, saying “trust is so important to this process. Our job is to work at this, and that we best understand the ‘why’ so that it can be properly addressed. When I put my provider hat on, individuals all need different things... I have to go into those rooms ready to listen and adapt.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Randi Woods, the Program Manager of Sisters Together and Reaching (STAR), shared her experience working with Black women and their families to promote healthy lifestyles. She emphasized the importance of cultural competency in healthcare education and the need for tailoring education programs to meet the specific needs of different communities. 

Located in Baltimore, MD, Woods spoke specifically to the concerns of the local community surrounding medical research. “There can be fear in the community about how research data will be used, where it is going,” Woods remarked. “They want to understand how their participation will have a positive impact.” Woods also addressed the need to create and maintain sustainable programs that will continue to serve the community. “Sustainability is critical,” said Woods. “We need to consider robust training, while putting a framework together in the process. Funding is what makes these opportunities possible—with grant writing and coming up with creative ways to add to our funding opportunities.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alex Solano-Umana, the Director of Community Outreach at Lourie Center, highlighted the role of healthcare professionals in advocating for policy changes that promote community health and discussed the importance of addressing the social determinants of health, such as access to healthy food and safe living conditions, to improve health outcomes. 

Solano-Umana stressed the importance of communication between researchers, community workers, and study participants before, during, and after the program. She encouraged researchers to, “allow people to make mistakes when you are introducing a new program. Give them time to make mistakes, to learn what the study is about, leave room for a million questions and gather feedback and follow up.”  

Panelists explored some of the challenges that commonly face new research and community-facing initiatives, particularly regarding gaining and maintaining participation from community members. The panel discussed ways to ensure that potential community partners and participants are considered equal to the researchers and that their input is valued.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donald Eaddy, the Director of Community Health at the YMCA, shared his organization's experience of working with communities to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles. He discussed the YMCA’s partnership with MACCHE’s UNLOAD Heart Failure project and the importance of creating a supportive environment that encourages individuals to make healthy choices and the need for long-term sustainability in healthcare education initiatives. Eaddy spoke to the benefits of utilizing pre-existing community centers, like the YMCA, for community programs and research, stating “[The YMCA] is a convening space. It’s a place where everyone already feels safe, and we try to leverage that to allow other providers to come in and give educational and access to care opportunities. A by-product of that safety is that we get real-time feedback from community members. When something is not serving them well, they are the first to speak up. This way we can give them what they truly need as they identify it and gives us the opportunity to meet them where they are.” For Eaddy, community input and feedback are paramount to creating effective programs. “It is important to work with communities to find out what they truly need, not what we think they might need,” Eaddy said. “Community partners have to be part of the conversation.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Eldridge, the Senior Director of Community Health at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Office for Population Health, discussed the challenges and opportunities in promoting community health education and the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of health disparities and the importance of partnerships between healthcare providers, community organizations, and public health officials. Eldridge noted that, beginning in January 2024, hospitals will be required to assess the social determinants of health data from Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program patients. For Eldridge, such initiatives are ideal opportunities for researchers to work within preexisting frameworks to conduct research and identify areas in need of investigation. “The programs we create must be aligned with what health systems are already doing,” Eldridge said. “We can use the resources that are already there.” 

Eldridge encouraged researchers to seek out organizations and health systems that are not only willing to participate in the study, but that share the values and vision behind the program. He advised, “when entering a relationship, we look to see that our mission and intentions align...We’ve established a cross-functional and multi-dimensional care team that hopes to be mindful in the decisions we make and ensure that they are accessible and achievable for all of our patients.” 

The panel discussion concluded with a lively Q&A session, with questions from researchers and community members in the audience. Thank you to all of our panelists for bringing your rich experiences to us! 

Stay tuned for more news from the MACCHE Launch!