Collaboration Between Local Health Authorities, Hospitals, Residents, and Community-Based Organizations in Boston

Abstract

As public health practitioners in Boston, we read with interest both the original article from Sprague Martinez et al.1 about youth perceptions of neighborhood sanitation in our city as well as the follow-up exchange between the authors and Jarris et al.,2 who noted rightly that these neighborhood-level observations should be shared with local, state, and federal health agencies to improve public health and quality of life. In fact, Jarris et al. posited, new Internal Revenue Service regulations and accreditation standards will soon require local health agencies and hospitals to complete community health assessments in collaboration with local residents. In their response to Jarris et al., Sprague Martinez et al.,3 with some skepticism, asked whether true collaboration involving neighborhood residents, community-based organizations, local health authorities, and hospitals could be operationalized given various constraints on time, resources, and political will. “Cabbages & Condoms” is a restaurant with an important message to share that recently opened in Oxfordshire, UK, and is based upon a concept that originated in Thailand. The name of the eatery refers to the idea that people might ... We are pleased to report that this collaboration is well under way in Boston. Together with community health coalitions and community-based organizations, the Boston Alliance for Community Health is undertaking a community health planning process in partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission (our local health agency) and hospitals. This process, which is expected to take two years, will be used to mobilize residents around their neighborhood’s prioritized health issues, support local organizations to improve their service delivery systems, create strategies for collective action, and advocate increasing the amount and more effective use of scarce resources. We invite and encourage Sprague Martinez and all others with a stake in health planning and policy in Boston to join us in this process.