By Mary M. Wesley, DrPH, MPH; Contributing Authors: Meredith Atanasio, M.S., Disha Jhaveri, BDS, MPH

This time of year presents an opportunity to reflect on the aspects of community in our fields of practice. The significance of community can be examined in health care delivery, population health promotion, and engagement opportunities at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

Health care delivery and communities: The Importance of respect and trust

Respect and trust are important aspects of working with communities in health care delivery.  Respect and trust at the community level start with health care providers making an investment at the patient level.  A majority of U.S. adults cite recommendations from friends and family as a factor when selecting a new primary care provider, highlighting word of mouth as a powerful tool in community influence and cohesion (Tu & Lauer, 2008).  Once a community develops trust in the health system, it can significantly contribute to delivering intervention, prevention, and education programs (Sacks et al., 2017). This could be observed in outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika, and Covid-19. Communities supported health care systems through formal and informal partnerships to disseminate accurate information, conduct contact tracing, and foster trust between community members and the health care system (Gilmore et al., 2020).

Population health promotion and communities: The Importance of engagement

For population health promotion, community engagement fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment among community members, essential for the sustainability of health programs. When people are actively involved in their health decisions, they are more likely to adopt healthy behaviors and support public health initiatives. Thus, investing in community engagement is ethical, practical and economical, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced health inequities (Israel et al., 2010). Leveraging the strengths and insights of community members allows public health efforts to be more effectively tailored to meet the needs of those they aim to serve (Rifkin, 2009).

Research shows that community engagement also improves health literacy, fosters trust between community members and health care providers, and increases the utilization of preventive services. For instance, community health workers are individuals who share similar backgrounds with the populations they serve, acting as liaisons, providing education, support, and advocacy. This community-led approach has been successful in managing chronic diseases, improving maternal and child health, and reducing health disparities (Viswanathan et al., 2010; Wallerstein & Duran, 2010).

Engaging community members in health initiatives ensures that interventions are culturally appropriate, accessible, and effective. Vulnerable populations, which may include individuals from low-income households, ethnic minorities, or individuals with chronic illnesses, often face barriers to accessing health care, including lack of transportation, language barriers, and unfamiliarity or mistrust of the health care system. Involving communities in the planning and implementation of health programs can help identify and address these barriers, leading to more equitable health outcomes (Andermann, 2016).

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Communities: The Importance and opportunities to engage

At Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM), community is central to our mission, vision, and values.  Our vision emphasizes collaborating with community partners; our mission aims to improve health of communities, and our values include a commitment to collaboration, excellence, innovation, discovery, diversity, equity, inclusion, humanism and compassion, all aimed at enhancing the communities we serve.

Meaningful opportunities to invest in community are abundant at VTCSOM for faculty, staff, and students.  The VTCSOM Community Outreach Programs can be found at https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/community.html. Programs include VTCSOM Engage, Medical Reserve Corps, Mini Medical School, Community Engagement Advisory Boards, the Health Professions Enrichment Program and Kids' Tech University.

VTCSOM also partners with a variety of organizations that are excellent places to serve. A number of these organizations can be found at https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/community/community-outreach.html. Community partners include Blue Ridge Behavioral Health, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, Bradley Free Clinic, Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP) of Roanoke Valley, Goodwill of the Roanoke Valley, Habitat for Humanity, Roanoke Refugee Partnership, and West End Center for Youth, and many others.

Explore these programs and partners for opportunities to engage,  build community, and advance our mission, vision, and values at VTCSOM.

References

Andermann, A. (2016). Taking action on the social determinants of health in clinical practice: A framework for health professionals. CMAJ, 188(17-18), E474-E483.

Gilmore, B., Ndejjo, R., Tchetchia, A., De Claro, V., Mago, E., Diallo, A. A., & Lopes, C. (2020). Community engagement for COVID-19 prevention and control: A rapid evidence synthesis. BMJ Global Health, 5(10), e003188.

Israel, B. A., Eng, E., Schulz, A. J., & Parker, E. A. (2010). Methods for community-based participatory research for health. John Wiley & Sons.

McGinnis, J. M., Williams-Russo, P., & Knickman, J. R. (2013). The case for more active policy attention to health promotion. Health Affairs, 21(2), 78-93.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Community. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community].

Rifkin, S. B. (2009). Lessons from community participation in health programmes: A review of the post Alma-Ata experience. International Health, 1(1), 31-36.

Sacks, J. J., Gonzalez, A. J., & Buehler, J. W. (2017). Engaging communities in the prevention of infectious diseases. Public Health Reports, 132(1), 3-5.

Tu, H. T., & Lauer, J. R. (2008). Word of mouth and physician referrals still drive health care provider choice. Research brief, (9), 1–8.

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. (n.d.). Vision, mission, and values. Retrieved from [https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/community/community-outreach.]

Viswanathan, M., Kraschnewski, J. L., Nishikawa, B., Morgan, L. C., Thieda, P., Honeycutt, A., & Lohr, K. N. (2010). Outcomes and costs of community health worker interventions: A systematic review. Medical Care, 48(9), 792-808.

Wallerstein, N., & Duran, B. (2010). Community-based participatory research contributions to intervention research: The intersection of science and practice to improve health equity. American Journal of Public Health, 100(S1), S40-S46.

Wallerstein, N., Oetzel, J., Duran, B., Tafoya, G., Belone, L., & Rae, R. (2017). What predicts outcomes in community-engaged research? In Community-based participatory research for health: Advancing social and health equity. John Wiley & Sons.