Knapp Kara, Carrillo Martinez Clarissa, Foreman Sarah, Lukwago Susan, Foster Julie, Burtzloff Kay, Collie-Akers Vicki, Atcheson Katherine, Finocchario-Kessler Sarah, Pacheco Christina M
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States.
Department of Population Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States.
Front Public Health. 2025 Aug 26;13:1662968. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1662968. eCollection 2025.
Academic-community partnerships are vital to addressing health disparities, particularly in rural and diverse communities. This case study highlights a partnership between the Liberal Area Coalition for Families (LACF) and the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) formed through the Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) initiative. Located in Seward County, Kansas-a region marked by cultural diversity, linguistic complexity, and high social vulnerability-this collaboration leveraged community strengths and academic resources to co-develop and implement equity-driven strategies.
The partnership established a Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT) composed of community members, stakeholders, and public health professionals, supported by a Regional Community Lead (RCL) and Community Health Workers (CHWs). The LHEAT addressed barriers to food access, COVID-19 testing and vaccination, and sustainable public health services through inclusive bilingual engagement models, culturally relevant services, and data-informed planning. Within two years, the LHEAT grew to over 50 members, launched 33 initiatives, and met nearly 90% of 647 identified client health needs.
Lessons learned emphasize the importance of beginning with local assets, adapting strategies to context, and building trust over time. The LACF-KUMC partnership showcases how community-led coalitions, supported by responsive academic institutions, can drive upstream systems change. This model underscores the need for flexible, sustained investment in local leadership and participatory evaluation to foster resilience, improve health outcomes, and promote equity across underrepresented communities.
学术机构与社区的伙伴关系对于解决健康差距问题至关重要，特别是在农村和多元化社区。本案例研究重点介绍了自由地区家庭联盟（LACF）与堪萨斯大学医学中心（KUMC）通过“社区组织促进公平”（COPE）倡议建立的伙伴关系。该合作位于堪萨斯州的苏厄德县，这一地区具有文化多样性、语言复杂性和高社会脆弱性等特点，它利用社区优势和学术资源共同制定并实施以公平为导向的战略。
该伙伴关系成立了一个由社区成员、利益相关者和公共卫生专业人员组成的地方健康公平行动小组（LHEAT），由一名区域社区负责人（RCL）和社区卫生工作者（CHW）提供支持。LHEAT通过包容性双语参与模式、具有文化相关性的服务和基于数据的规划，解决了食品获取、新冠病毒检测与疫苗接种以及可持续公共卫生服务方面的障碍。在两年内，LHEAT发展到50多名成员，发起了33项倡议，并满足了647项已确定的客户健康需求中的近90%。
吸取的经验教训强调了从本地资产出发、根据具体情况调整战略以及随着时间推移建立信任的重要性。LACF - KUMC伙伴关系展示了在积极响应的学术机构支持下，由社区主导的联盟如何推动上游系统变革。这种模式凸显了对地方领导力和参与式评估进行灵活、持续投资的必要性，以增强复原力、改善健康结果并促进代表性不足社区的公平。
