COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH CORE

University Of Hawaii At Manoa, Honolulu HI

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The success of health disparities research studies and the timely transfer of their findings into practice requires the active participation of minority and Indigenous populations who are most likely to benefit from such research. However, a continued distrust of researchers and the research enterprise, in general, by racial/ethnic minorities and indigenous populations have been well documented. To address this barrier, the Community Engagement (CE) Core of the Center established in 2002 an extensive community coalition called the Ulu Network ('ulu' means 'growth' in the Native Hawaiian language). By Y09 (2010). the Ulu Network grew 40% to include 32 organizations and nearly 70 sites across the State of Hawai'i and in California. (See Figure 1.) The Ulu Network members include all 14 federally qualified community health clinics (CHC) in Hawaii and all five federally established Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems (NHHCS) as well as several rural community hospitals, schools, and civic organizations that serve Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Peoples (NHPP). The Ulu Network is vital to the Center for Native and Pacific Health Disparities Research (Center) efforts to engage community organizations in the health disparities research process and information dissemination programs. The most significant collaborations have been with 11 Ulu Network organizations that have been actively involved in 12 NIH funded studies supported by the Center including 9 funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Seven of these organizations have been involved with as many as four studies with roles ranging from community principal investigators, performance sites, and/or assisted with participant recruitment/enrollment. The studies include clinical trials, translational research, epidemiological, and basic science studies. All Ulu Network organizations have been actively involved in Center activities to varying degrees, 13 organizations have collaborated on 17 cardiometabolic health information dissemination programs, and 28 organizations have participated in 34 capacity-building seminars as participants, instructors, or teaching sites. In addition, most organizations have participated in the Center's annual research conference, He Huliau, as attendees or presenters. As discussed in the Overview section of the Center's proposal, community engagement is integral to the Center's principles and values. The Center's entire infrastructure will be reconfigured to firmly embed community involvement into its long term goals and day-to-day management. The CE will work with all of the Center's Cores and the Ulu Network to create a vibrant environment in which communities take ownership of their own health and wellness and participate in the research enterprise.