Rochester Healthy Community Partnership: Then and now
Frontiers in Public Health Jan 2023
RHCP began in 2004 as a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and an adult education center in Rochester, Minnesota, aiming to address health concerns among immigrant and refugee communities. What started as a response to tuberculosis stigma and low screening rates evolved into a long-term partnership grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR). Over 18 years, RHCP has co-created culturally tailored interventions for issues like diabetes, heart disease, cancer screening, and COVID-19 communication. The partnership emphasizes shared decision-making, capacity building, and community leadership, with academic and community partners jointly conducting research and sharing results.
Sustaining RHCP has required navigating challenges like project-based funding, limited infrastructure among community organizations, and the need for ongoing training. Despite these hurdles, RHCP has built trust through consistent engagement, reflection, and shared values. It has also served as a learning platform for hundreds of students and community members. The partnership’s success lies in its ability to adapt to changing societal contexts, maintain strong relational and structural dynamics, and center community voice in health equity efforts. RHCP’s experience offers valuable lessons for building and sustaining meaningful, long-term community-academic collaborations.