Engagement Strategies to Advance Community-Centered Primary Care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Systems Strengthening
• Community Health

Background:

• The Louisiana Public Health Institute initiated the Primary Care Capacity Project (PCCP).
• Focus on expanding access to integrated, sustainable, community-based primary care.
• Included linkages to behavioral, environmental, and occupational health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine PCCP's stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Strengthen sustainable primary care systems.
• Improve community health center capacity across 17 Gulf Coast counties and parishes.

Main Methods:

• Engaged diverse stakeholders: FQHCs, public health institutes, academic organizations, and health departments.
• Utilized community prioritization convenings.
• Facilitated peer-to-peer learning via the Regional Care Collaborative and dyadic interviews.

Main Results:

• Fostered trusted partnerships to understand community needs and avoid duplicating efforts.
• Strengthened collaboration among health partners across four states.
• Improved capacity for future regional opportunities like knowledge transfer and emergency management.

Conclusions:

• Cross-jurisdiction collaborations enhance the sustainability of integrated primary and behavioral health services in disaster-prone areas.
• PCCP successfully built capacity for resilient community-based healthcare.
• The project positioned health partners for continued regional collaboration and shared services.