How can the example of Morehouse School of Medicine help other health-oriented universities create ideal collaborations between faculty and community-based organizations? Among the 154 medical schools in the United States, Morehouse School of Medicine stands out for its formidable success in improving its surrounding communities. Over its history, Morehouse has become known as an institution committed to community engagement with an interest in closing the health equity gap between people of color and the white majority population. In The Morehouse Model, Ronald L. Braithwaite and his coauthors reveal the lessons learned over the decades since the school's founding-lessons that other medical schools and health systems will be eager to learn in the hope of replicating Morehouse's success. Describing the philosophical, cultural, and contextual grounding of the Morehouse Model, they give concrete examples of it in action before explaining how to foster the collaboration between community-based organizations and university faculty that is essential to making this model of care and research work. Arguing that establishing ongoing collaborative projects requires genuineness, transparency, and trust from everyone involved, the authors offer a theory of citizen participation as a critical element for facilitating behavioral change. Drawing on case studies, exploratory research, surveys, interventions, and secondary analysis, they extrapolate lessons to advance the field of community-based participatory research alongside community health. Written by well-respected leaders in the effort to reduce health inequities, The Morehouse Model is rooted in social action and social justice constructs. It will be a touchstone for anyone conducting community-based participatory research, as well as any institution that wants to have a positive effect on its local community.

"The book is especially useful for researchers, policymakers, public health practitioners, and community leaders who have limited experience in both health coalition building, and working with the African American community in particular."  

CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY

Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO, NAACP

In Building Health Coalitions in the Black Community, Professor Ronald Braithwaite and his colleagues examine the phenomenon of coalition building with respect to diverse problems and situations they have encountered in their research. The result is a significant contribution to knowledge of the method of coalition development and its application in African American Communities.

The book begins with a historical review of health care and collaboration involving the African American population generally. The second chapter reveals federal and research foundation support for coalition building. Following this are discussions addressing a wide range of issues relating to coalitions in the African American Community:

• The theoretical basis of coalition building and coalitions in urban communities;
• The role of formative, process and summative evaluation in coalitions generally, with examples of coalitions combating drug use;
• The benefits that proceed from collaborations between African American religious institutions and public health officials, and the role, selection and training of lay health advisors;
• Ways coalitions in the African American community have responded to environmental issues such as hazardous waste facility siting;

Students in a variety of health science and related disciplines (public health, nursing, medicine, and allied health, social work, psychology, sociology, health education) will find this an excellent general introduction to health promotion in African American communities.