Partnering together? Relationships between faith-based community health centers and neighborhood congregations

The US Bureau of Primary Health Care has promoted collaboration between federally funded community health centers and neighborhood religious congregations, yet little is known about how such organizations currently interact in underserved neighborhoods.

Semistructured interviews were conducted with leaders from five faith-based, urban community health centers and 23 neighborhood congregations. Transcripts were coded for prevalent concepts and themes regarding collaborations between the two types of organizations.

Collaborations between health centers and congregations are generally limited to modest sharing of resources and personnel and intermittent health promotion programs. Leaders of both types of organizations desire greater collaboration, but such desires appear to be frustrated by inadequate resources and differing priorities, visions, and philosophies.

Increased collaboration between community health centers and neighborhood congregations will require efforts to overcome organizational differences, intercongregational tensions, and resource limitations. For the participants, comprehensive "faith partnerships" remain a desirable but elusive goal.