National Black Nurses Association community collaboration model

In 1991, the National Black Nurses Association was awarded a contract from the Division of Nursing, United States Department of Health and Human Services to develop a community education program addressing eight Healthy People 2000 objectives. Healthy People 2000 is the United States Public Health Services's statement of national priorities for improving the health of all Americans. It provides a framework to reduce preventable deaths and disabilities, and equalize disparities in health status for specific populations. The NBNA Board of Directors chose to address five priority areas: infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and recruitment and retention of Blacks in nursing. For each area, specific nursing responsibilities were identified: health promotion, health protection, disease prevention, preventive clinical services, and surveillance and data requirements. The authors developed a model for implementation of the NBNA's Healthy America Report recommendations. The model and data from program implementation are presented with commentary on the efficacy of community partnership models to achieve preventive health goals.