Highlights of Engaging with our Community Advisory Board in 2019
At the heart of JHU Center for Heath Equity’s (CHE’s) approach to community engagement on health equity issues are “Community Advisory Boards” (CABs): groups of academic and clinical experts teamed with local stakeholders who understand the specific barriers facing at risk communities and can offer practical solutions to overcome them. These groups are formed to assist a variety of Center initiatives--but one such group also advises the Center itself.
Over the last several months, the Center’s CAB has met to update members on past successes, new initiatives, and plans for the future.
Center for Health Equity staff (Erika McCannon, Jia Lee, Deven Brown) greeting arriving members of the Community Advisory Board, March 2019. Photo by Sheridan Jones for CHE
A member Center for Health Equity Community Advisory Board sharing her perspective, March 2019. Photo by Sheridan Jones for CHE.
JUNE QUARTERLY MEETING
At the CAB meeting on June 26, 2019, the Center’s new “Health Equity Voices” concept was introduced to attendees. While still in development, the Health Equity Voices series will showcase the perspectives and mini-stories of a variety of people from all walks of life. Each profile will be shared across the Center’s website, publications, and social media. As a teaser to the new storytelling platform, attendees enjoyed a brief audio presentation from the Special Edition Jam Session held on April 24th, 2019, on the topic, “Achieving Health Equity Together: Local Lessons and Global Applications,” which featured a discussion with a panel of health equity experts, moderated by Center faculty member Dr. Yvonne Commodore-Mensah. Panelists included the Center’s director, Dr. Lisa Cooper and CAB co-chair, Rev. Debra Hickman. Dr. Cooper summed up the presentations from the panelists with a great quote: “…you all can see how powerful and important it is to speak out when you see things that need to be changed and/or improved. Everyone should know that together, we are much stronger than one…”
“....you all can see how powerful and important it is to speak out when you see things that need to be changed and/or improved. Everyone should know that together, we are much stronger than one”
The June meeting also featured Dr. Cooper and Ms. Nancy Molello introducing the establishment of the Center’s Community Engagement Workgroup. This workgroup was announced in response to CAB members’ request for greater involvement in Center programs and research projects, and for mechanisms to share research findings with their community. Dr. Cooper and Ms. Molello led the first session to brainstorm the goals of the workgroup.
Another highlight of the meeting was Rev. Debra Hickman providing an update on “Why Women Cry Conference”, an event hosted by Sisters Together and Reaching, Inc. (STAR) on April 22, 2019. This event, led by Rev. Debra Hickman, was a huge success, with hundreds of people attending. The keynote speaker shared motivational remarks about women taking care of themselves and paying attention to their health.
Dr. Cooper also provided an update on discussions with Dr. Deidra Crews, along with Dr. Dan Hale, on critical health topics for African-American women, including risk factors for chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and depression.
CAB members also reviewed the Community Advisory Board (CAB) 2019/2020 goals and offered comments to be incorporated in a revised version. Members were also provide Center updates and progress made since the last CAB Meeting in Quarter 1, 2019.
Dr. Jill Marsteller led the discussion with participation from Park West, Total Health Care, and the American Heart Association, and provided updates on recruitment for the RICH LIFE project. There was two-way conversation to determine if any measures collected for the RICH LIFE project may be useful to the health systems. The group continued discussions about the RICH LIFE Project’s sustainability.
Finally, a new CAB member orientation breakout session was established to orient new members. The first breakout session was held during this CAB meeting and will remain a standing item on the agenda for future CAB meetings. Dr. Chidinma Ibe reviewed the CAB member orientation packet with RICH LIFE Care Managers and Community Health Workers who attended the CAB meeting.
Dr. Chidinma Ibe, a leader with the Center for Health Equity Community Advisory Board, provides updates to members, September 2019. Photo by Zehui Zhou for CHE.
Leaders of the Center for Health Equity Community Advisory Board, Reverend Debra Hickman, Dr. Lisa Cooper, and Dr. Chidinma Ibe, present to members, March 2019. Photo by Sheridan Jones for CHE.
SEPTEMBER QUARTERLY MEETING
Later in the year, at the CAB’s meeting on September 18, 2019, the group heard the first reports from Nancy Molello and Debra Hickman’s trip to Uganda to develop a toolkit to guide the functions and assess the performance of CABs around the world (see the article in this newsletter about the kind of work they did there). The September meeting also included focus groups that began to apply some of Ms. Molello and Rev. Hickman’s work in evaluating the Center for Health Equity’s own Community Advisory Board. The CAB added a valuable new member in Ms. Charlette Lee, a patient and community advocate who conducted extensive outreach for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
DECEMBER QUARTERLY MEETING
On December 11, 2019 attendees participated in a survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership between the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and the community organizations and individuals that serve as community advisory board members. Dr. Chidinma Ibe and Mr. Gideon Avornu reviewed the CAB member packet with newest CAB member, Reverend Pamula Yerby-Hammack. Rev. Yerby-Hammack is an Assistant Pastor at the City of Abraham Church and Ministries. The group then discussed the membership structure, ideal member proportions, role of the CAB, and meeting frequency as well as an overview of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity.
After a healthy lunch with all attendees, the leaders from the Center for Health Equity expressed their gratitude with a small gift of appreciation for the continued input and support offered by community advisory board members.
Annual photo of members of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity Community Advisory Board in Baltimore on December 11, 2019. Photo by Sheridan Jones for CHE.
The next CAB meeting is scheduled for March 25, 2020. To learn more about the Center’s Community Advisory Board, please view our online Community Corner or send a note to jhchecab@jhmi.edu.
RESOURCES
Learn more about the mission and operations of the Community Advisory Board
Our Community Corner page provides downloaded highlights from each of the meetings, along with further information about becoming involved.
Keep up with latest community news by signing up for our Quarterly Community Highlights