Rural Embedded Assistants for Community Health (REACH) Network: First-Person Accounts in a Community-University Partnership

Louis D. Brown, Theodore R. Alter, Leigh Gordon Brown, Marilyn A. Corbin, Claire Flaherty-Craig, Lindsay G. McPhail, Pauline Nevel, Kimbra Shoop, Glenn Sterner, Thomas E. Terndrup, M. Ellen Weaver

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Community research and action projects undertaken by community-university partnerships can lead to contextually appropriate and sustainable community improvements in rural and urban localities. However, effective implementation is challenging and prone to failure when poorly executed. The current paper seeks to inform rural community-university partnership practice through consideration of first-person accounts from five stakeholders in the Rural Embedded Assistants for Community Health (REACH) Network. The REACH Network is a unique community-university partnership aimed at improving rural health services by identifying, implementing, and evaluating innovative health interventions delivered by local caregivers. The first-person accounts provide an insider's perspective on the nature of collaboration. The unique perspectives identify three critical challenges facing the REACH Network: trust, coordination, and sustainability. Through consideration of the challenges, we identified several strategies for success. We hope readers can learn their own lessons when considering the details of our partnership's efforts to improve the delivery infrastructure for rural healthcare.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)206-216
Number of pages11
JournalAmerican Journal of Community Psychology
Volume51
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Health(social science)
  • Applied Psychology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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