Collective Impact Model Research Articles

Equity-Focused Evaluation of a Medicaid-Funded Statewide Diabetes Quality Improvement Project Collaborative.

To evaluate the Ohio Diabetes Quality Improvement Project (QIP) equity aim to reduce the percentage of Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic patients with A1C >9% by ≥20% over 2 years. The Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, Ohio Medicaid managed care plans, and seven medical schools in Ohio formed the Diabetes QIP collaborative using the collective impact model to improve diabetes outcomes and equity in 20 practices across 11 health systems. The quality improvement (QI) strategies included data audit and feedback, peer-to-peer learning, QI coaching/practice facilitation, and subject matter expert consultation through coaching calls, monthly webinars, and annual virtual learning sessions. Electronic health record data were collected for preintervention (2019-2020) and intervention (2020-2022) periods. Assessments of improvements in A1C were based on prevalence of A1C >9% from preintervention, year 1, and year 2 with stratification by race and ethnicity. The Diabetes QIP included 7,689 (54% female) sociodemographically diverse patients, self-identifying as non-Hispanic White (NHW) (42%), NHB (43%), Hispanic (8%), non-Hispanic Asian (4%), or other (3%). In year 2 compared with baseline, there were decreases in the proportion of patients with A1C >9% among NHW, NHB, and Hispanic patients (NHW from 19% to 12% [37% reduction], NHB 23% to 18% [22% reduction], and Hispanic 29% to 23% [20% reduction]). The Ohio Diabetes QIP, focused on multisector collaborative approaches, reduced the percentage of patients with A1C >9% by ≥20% among NHW, NHB, and Hispanic populations. Given the persistence of disparities, further equity-focused refinements are warranted to address disparities in diabetes control.

Establishing sustainable school-community partnerships: strategies for school management teams

ABSTRACT School-community partnerships (SCPs) in under-resourced contexts provide invaluable support and resources for meeting the needs of staff and learners beyond the perimeters of a school. This article explored the strategies which school management teams (SMTs) employ, in establishing sustainable SCPs in township secondary schools in the Johannesburg Central (JC) District of Gauteng, South Africa. The study followed a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design, to investigate the partnerships between 16 secondary schools and their respective community partners (CPs). However, for this article, the study reports only on the quantitative results. Two complementary, standardized questionnaires – one for SMTs and the other for CPs were used to collect data, which were subsequently analyzed using descriptive, factor, and reliability statistical analysis procedures. I employed sustainable SCPs, using the collective impact model as the theoretical framework. The study produced favorable findings regarding strategies for establishing sustainable partnerships between the school and community partners, including two-way conversations; negotiated partnerships; a common purpose; funding; a reflection on the quality of the partnership; accountability; monitoring and evaluation; trust and respect; commitment to implementing the partnership and collaborating to find solutions. To conclude, I highlight the implications of the findings for educational practitioners and make recommendations for future research.

A Call to Action: Supporting Black Maternal and Infant Health Using the Collective Impact Model.

This commentary advocates for a comprehensive approach to addressing the Black maternal and infant health crisis, utilizing the collective impact model with health equity at its center. Black women in the United States face alarmingly high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality compared to white women. Black women are twice as likely to have premature and low birthweight babies than white women, exposing both the expectant woman and child to various health risks. This crisis stems from systemic racism, implicit bias in healthcare, and a lack of targeted health communications for pregnant Black women. The urgency of this situation requires a bold and unified response through collaboration and coordination among healthcare providers, local and grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs), and digital health communicators. A comprehensive Black maternal and infant health campaign embedded within the collective impact model and led by a dedicated backbone organization would facilitate the coordination and involvement of diverse stakeholders. Central to these efforts should be the acknowledgment that systemic racism perpetuates health inequities. Consequently, any initiatives to improve health outcomes should prioritize health equity by valuing and incorporating Black women's perspectives. This involves crafting a responsive strategy and placing Black women at the forefront of content creation, program strategy, and evaluation. Through a collaborative effort involving healthcare partners, CBOs, and health communicators, we can have an impact far more significant than any single initiative. Immediate action is needed to dismantle systemic barriers and ensure every Black woman and infant receives the care and support they deserve. Black maternal health disparities in the United States have been widely acknowledged and studied. It is well-established that Black women face significantly higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality compared to their white counterparts, indicative of a severe healthcare crisis. This opinion piece contributes to the discourse by proposing a comprehensive solution grounded in the collective impact model, which emphasizes collaboration and coordination across various stakeholders. This approach represents a shift from past siloed efforts, aiming to tackle the urgent issue of Black maternal and infant health with a multidisciplinary approach centered on health equity.

Using Community Engagement to Move Upstream to Address Social Determinants of Health.

Given its role as a safety net institution, the University of Florida Health (UF Health) Jacksonville has responded to the community's needs through partnerships with the community for decades. Such academic-community partnerships have a broad emphasis on population health and primary care that expands the model of care to include community engagement, which allows such partnerships to promote health and well-being and reduce health inequalities by addressing social determinants of health (SDOH).This report describes the UF Health Jacksonville and University of Florida College of Medicine - Jacksonville's creation of the Urban Health Alliance (UHA) in June 2019 due to continued poor health outcomes and inequities within the community. The mission of the UHA is to improve community health using community-focused, self-sustainable strategies and solutions to impact SDOH (i.e., more upstream interventions). Using the tenets of the collective impact model, the UHA acts as a backbone organization to achieve these objectives by empowering community partners to affect changes in policy, systems, and other structures necessary for the optimal health of the community. The UHA's work is divided across 4 pillars: services, research, education, and policy. These pillars reflect the traditional missions of academic medical centers-clinical care, research, and education-and the need to address structural changes to improve community health-namely, policy. By addressing the issues that most impact the patients and community of UF Health Jacksonville, the UHA can serve as an example of how an academic medical center can use the traditional missions to improve the community's health and move toward health equity.

Abstract PO4-11-02: Accelerating Progress and Achieving Health Equity: The American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Roundtable

Abstract Background: Breast cancer continues to be a leading cause of death among women, with disparities in mortality rates persisting, particularly for Black women and under-supported communities. In response to this urgent need, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has launched the American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Roundtable (ACS NBCRT) to address complex challenges across the breast cancer continuum and improve access to quality care. Methods: The ACS NBCRT is a coalition of organizations committed to eliminating disparities and reducing mortality rates. By leveraging strategic partnerships and using the Collective Impact Model, the ACS NBCRT aims to ensure equitable access to screening, treatment, and comprehensive support services. The roundtable follows the proven ACS Roundtable Model, which brings together diverse contributors to drive progress on breast cancer priorities. Results: The ACS NBCRT, chaired by prominent leaders in the field, has engaged thought leaders, organizations, policymakers, and individuals with lived experiences to identify initial roundtable priorities through a community-informed process. The ACS NBCRT conducted three listening sessions, 8 focus groups, 10 community conversations, and 33 informant interviews and received 700+ responses to a nationwide survey. As a result of this work, the ACS NBCRT leadership was able to interpret the data to inform our roundtable's strategic priorities focused on risk reduction, screening, early detection, access to treatment, clinical trials, and support services. Workgroups will address cross-cutting approaches, including health equity, patient navigation, and education, to develop short- and long-term goals for the roundtable. This approach to addressing health equity through our priority areas is intentional, and it is reflected in our engagement with lived experience experts and diverse community contributors in our early planning, formative research, leadership recruitment, and our member engagement and recruitment. Conclusion: Through its Collective Impact approach, the ACS NBCRT is poised and positioned to accelerate progress, promote health equity, and reduce the burden of breast cancer. The roundtable is uniquely designed to identify and addresses gaps by providing a neutral platform to convene diverse stakeholders to establish national priorities across the cancer continuum, catalyze policy and patient care solutions, promote evidence-based strategies and translate them into practice, and leverage volunteer knowledge and experiences to inform the reduction of health disparities. The roundtable's commitment to strategic partnerships, evidence-based strategies, and health equity will drive change and allow the ACS NBCRT to lead the national dialogue on breast cancer. Implications: The establishment of the ACS NBCRT signifies a crucial step towards achieving health equity in breast cancer care. By addressing disparities and promoting collaborative solutions, the roundtable aims to improve outcomes for all people facing breast cancer. Citation Format: Ashley Dedmon, Theresa Petee, Olufunmilayo Olopade, John Williams, Arif Kamal, Sarah Shafir. Accelerating Progress and Achieving Health Equity: The American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Roundtable [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-11-02.

A Case Study to Investigate Factors Influencing the Santa Clara County Getting to Zero Initiative’s Collective Impact Model

Our objective was to explore how factors, such as backbone organization changes and COVID-19, affected a collective impact (CI) initiative’s progression through the five CI phases and its components of success. We conducted a case study using semistructured interviews with 17 representatives from the action committee, community-based organization, and health department between January and February 2023 in Santa Clara County, California. Participants were asked how internal and external factors affected their engagement and experiences with the CI initiative. We analyzed the data using structural and holistic coding. Results showed that the initiative’s progression was impacted by intersecting factors; overall findings supported a reconceptualization of CI whereby progression through each component of success was cyclical, not linear. Specifically, governance and infrastructure and community engagement significantly contributed to a backward shift in progress along the five CI phases. As CI matures as a model, programs implementing a CI framework have an opportunity and responsibility to test the tenets of the approach. Our study provides a test case through which the theoretical foundations of CI can be examined and refined to build the research literature and strengthen other CI initiatives.

First 1,000 Days Suncoast: Regional Initiative Transforming Care for Babies and Their Families

A child’s first 1,000 days are a period of rapid brain development; negative environments and stressful events can impact their lifelong health, well-being, resiliency, and prosperity. First 1,000 Days Suncoast is a tri-county initiative in southwest Florida comprising 90 partner organizations supporting families and babies by connecting them with resources and tools through a large and comprehensive network. Following the Collective Impact model, the region’s public community hospital was designated as the backbone organization, with a nurse-led team guiding the operations. A steering committee, with leaders of regional nonprofits and foundations, ensures tactical alignment with county priorities, and has been key in building a strong partner infrastructure. Three key components guide the activities of the initiative: care coordination; parent empowerment; and targeted interventions. Through collaboration with community professionals and parents, the initiative identifies the most pervasive barriers to care for families and develops innovative solutions. This method has led to system-wide transformations, organization-specific enhancements, and process improvements.

A Medicaid-Funded Statewide Diabetes Quality Improvement Collaborative: Ohio 2020‒2022.

We used a collective impact model to form a statewide diabetes quality improvement collaborative to improve diabetes outcomes and advance diabetes health equity. Between 2020 and 2022, in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care Plans, and Ohio's seven medical schools, we recruited 20 primary care practices across the state. The percentage of patients with hemoglobin A1c greater than 9% improved from 25% to 20% over two years. Applying our model more broadly could accelerate improvement in diabetes outcomes. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(12):1254-1257. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307410).

Leveraging the Collective Impact Model to Advocate for Pregnant and Parenting Teens.

Over 140 000 adolescents in the United States became parents in 2021. Expectant and parenting youth face health and socioeconomic challenges, which in turn affect the health of their children. This case study describes the formation and outcomes of a citywide network, the District of Columbia Network for Expectant and Parenting Teens (DC NEXT), an interdisciplinary collaboration that aims to prioritize the voices of expectant and parenting teens and build their capacity to make healthy decisions about relationships, sex, parenting, and education. By employing the 5 principles of collective impact, DC NEXT has been able to successfully bring together multiple stakeholders and a context team of teen parents with lived experience. Accomplishments include direct engagement with 550 youth, caregivers, and community members, completing a health and well-being survey, improving access to essential programs and resources, and training hundreds of staff members to provide trauma-informed, human-centered care. DC NEXT may serve as a model for others seeking to develop interdisciplinary community-based advocacy coalitions.

The Opioid Response Project: An Effective Learning Collaborative for Local Communities?

The Opioid Response Project (ORP) was designed as an intensive 2-year health promotion learning collaborative grounded in the Collective Impact Model (CIM) to prepare ten local communities to address the opioid crisis. The purpose of this evaluation was to describe the ORP implementation, provide a summary of the evaluation results, share insights, and discuss implications. Results were informed by multiple data sources, including project documents, surveys, and interviews with members of the ORP and community teams. Based on process evaluation results, 100% of community teams reported being satisfied with the ORP and recommended this experience to others. ORP participation outputs ranged from new opioid response programs, to strengthened community teams, to receipt of additional funding. Based on the outcome evaluation, the ORP was effective at increasing community knowledge and capacity, promoting collaboration, and facilitating sustainability. This initiative is an example of an effective learning collaborative to curb the opioid epidemic at the community level. Participating communities found great value in working together as part of a larger cohort and reported benefits from the peer learning and support provided by the ORP. In particular, access to technical assistance, identification of engagement strategies within and across community teams, and a focus on sustainability are key practice components to be included in learning collaboratives designed to address large-scale public health issues.

Getting to Zero in Allegheny County: Implementation of a Collective Impact Model to Achieve Ending the HIV Epidemic Objectives.

Allegheny County Pennsylvania has the second highest HIV prevalence in the state. In the county, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by HIV. In responses to HIV epidemic in the Allegheny County, AIDS Free Pittsburgh was created with the goals of reducing new HIV infections by 75% and declaring Allegheny County AIDS free (no new AIDS cases) by 2020. AIDS Free Pittsburgh uses a collective impact framework in which partners pledge to collect and share data uniformly across health systems, to co-organize events for provider and community education, and to enhance access to quality healthcare by developing resources and referral networks. Since its inception, there has been nearly a 43% decrease in new HIV cases, a 23% decrease in new AIDS cases, and other promising trends related to HIV testing, preexposure prophylaxis, linkage to care, and viral load suppression for people living with HIV in Allegheny County. This article provides a detailed description of the community-level project, the activities conducted by collective group, a summary of project outcomes, and lessons learned for replicating this project in other midsized, mid-HIV incidence jurisdictions.

Creating a Culture of Breastfeeding Support and Continuity of Care in Central Illinois.

Central Illinois breastfeeding rates fall short of the recommendation to breastfeed exclusively through 6 months, and Black, low-income, and rural families disproportionately experience low rates. A continuity of care framework, which emphasizes interdisciplinary coordination from the prenatal period through weaning, can support breastfeeding. This case study describes an innovative practice model informed by the Collective Impact Model (CIM) designed to promote breastfeeding continuity of care and community support in Central Illinois. Development and maintenance of the Central Illinois Breastfeeding Professional Network (CIBPN), a network of diverse public health practitioners, leveraged CIM principles. The CIBPN began with influential Breastfeeding Champions, identified through the Illinois State Physical Activity and Nutrition program. Champions convened Central Illinois breastfeeding allies and led the CIBPN to coalesce around a common agenda and engage in mutually reinforcing activities. Linked breastfeeding data for families giving birth at a Central Illinois hospital and receiving postnatal care at a health center were analyzed as a snapshot of CIBPN initiatives. The CIBPN engaged at least 135 practitioners and more than 27 organizations. At least 33 people received advanced breastfeeding training, and many professional development opportunities were offered. Numerous breastfeeding support improvements were made at and between CIBPN sites. Breastfeeding rates at the birthing hospital and health center were stable, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article contributes to the practice-based evidence for breastfeeding support by strengthening continuity of care through a successful application of the CIM by public health practitioners.

Health and wellbeing (SDG3) in urban design and spatial planning – a retrospective roadmap towards the collective impact model

ABSTRACT The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) lay the foundations for supporting global health yet the rate of meeting the SDGs is slow and complex. In order to meet these transactional and multidisciplinary challenges a paradigm shift from operating in silos is needed, to include a more interdisciplinary approach (top down as well as bottom up approaches). This paper reports top down and bottom up approaches that were used to address health and wellbeing in a middle-eastern multi-cultural city. In this retrospective roadmap, we highlight the key pillars that appear to have assisted in progress in achieving SDG3, Good Health and Well-being. The roadmap includes the development of the key pillars: 1) a common agenda, 2) shared measurement system, 3) mutually reinforcing activities, 4) continuous communication and 5) backbone support. Highlighting condition 4, continuous communication, of the model, we discuss the creation, use and importance of a “communication tool” used for Healthy Urban Planning. This tool developed cooperatively with relevant municipality departments, national government, and multidisciplinary community shareholders, led to organizational changes and the creation of the Sustainability Department of the municipality. This retrospective roadmap appears to reflect the collective impact framework appropriate for solving complex challenges such as achieving SDGs.

Forming Cardi-OH: A Statewide Collaborative to Improve Cardiovascular Health in Ohio.

BackgroundCardiovascular risk factor control is challenging, especially in disadvantaged populations. However, few statewide efforts exist to tackle this challenge. Therefore, our objective is to describe the formation of a unique statewide cardiovascular health collaborative so others may learn from this approach.MethodologyWith funding from the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s Ohio Medicaid Technical Assistance and Policy Program, we used a collective impact model to link the seven medical schools in Ohio, primary care clinics across the state, the Ohio Department of Medicaid, and Ohio’s Medicaid Managed Care Plans in a statewide health improvement collaborative for expanding primary care capacity to improve cardiovascular health in Ohio.ResultsInitial dissemination activities for primary care teams included a virtual case-based learning series focused on hypertension and social determinants of health, website resources, a monthly newsletter with clinical tips, webinars, and in-person conferences. The collaborative is aligned with a separately funded hypertension quality improvement project for paired implementation.ConclusionsThe collective impact model is a useful framework for developing a statewide collaborative focused on the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based best practices for cardiovascular health improvement and disparity reduction. Statewide collaboratives bringing payers, clinicians, and academic partners together have the potential to substantially impact cardiovascular health.

Mental Health Stigma Reduction in the Midwestern United States: Evidence from a Digital Campaign Using a Collective Impact Model.

Addressing mental stigma is a key component of improving mental health outcomes. A digital media campaign was implemented to reduce mental health stigma in the Omaha Metropolitan area. The campaign used evidence-based approaches within a collective impact framework. Two surveys were conducted at baseline and at 10-month follow-up to evaluate the campaign within the Omaha and Council Bluffs intervention region, and a control region in Iowa. Analysis revealed significant improvements in desires for social distance and perceptions toward treatment efficacy within the intervention group. Improvements were seen across measures of personal and community attitudes towards mental health conditions, confidence in supporting others, and likelihood of disclosing a mental health condition. The trends were generally not replicated within the control group. Respondents who were aware of the campaign showed fewer stigmatizing views, including lower desires for social distance, improved attitudes toward treatment, and significant improvements in providing support and caring for their own mental health. The results suggest that the implemented evidenced-based approach could potentially create positive shifts in stigma reduction. This evaluation further supports the potential for scaling and adapting digital media campaigns for stigma reduction in different geographic locations.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10900-022-01130-3.

Grand Challenge Aims to Eradicate MH Stigma

Grand Challenge Aims to Eradicate MH Stigma

Using a Collective Impact Model in Communities to Improve the Physical Environment.

The physical environment-the places where individuals live, work, and play-can cause or prevent serious health conditions including chronic diseases and obesity. In North Carolina, the Collective Impact Model serves as the foundation on which multisector community coalitions can address environmental and policy barriers for improved health.

Implementing the collective impact model as a gateway to a veterans community navigator program

ABSTRACT Addressing mental health needs and homelessness among the veteran population calls for a coordinated systemic response that is all too often missing from community-based responses. The collective impact (CI) model provides a framework for community collaboration to address entrenched problems by increasing collaboration across sectors. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the use of CI to develop a veterans’ community navigator program within a community in the Southwestern United States (US). Data was gathered and thematically analyzed from interviews with key stakeholders (N = 7). Findings from this study support the use of the CI model for program development and implementation and suggest that the CI model may be enhanced with strategic approaches that 1) consider the target population as stakeholders, 2) strategize communication to build sustainable partnerships, and 3) use thorough community needs assessments to inform program development.

Implementation evaluation of a collective impact initiative to promote adolescent health in Oklahoma County, USA

BackgroundThe teenage birth rate in the USA has considerably decreased in recent decades; however, more innovative, collaborative approaches are needed to promote adolescent health and prevent teenage pregnancy at the community level. Despite literature on the promising results of the collective impact (CI) model for health promotion, there is limited literature on the model’s ability to reduce teenage pregnancies in a community. The Central Oklahoma Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaboration is applying the CI model to foster collaboration among multiple stakeholders with the goal of increasing community and organizational capacity to improve adolescent health outcomes. This paper reports the findings from the initiative’s implementation evaluation, which sought to understand whether the CI model improved collaboration among organizations and understand barriers and facilitators that affected program delivery.MethodsProgram implementers and evaluators jointly developed research questions to guide the intervention and evaluation design. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to assess program components including the intervention characteristics, organization setting, community setting, facilitator characteristics, and the process of implementation. Primary sources of data included performance measures, meeting observations (n = 11), and semi-structured interviews (n = 10). The data was thematically analyzed using CFIR constructs, community capacity domains, and the five constructs of CI.ResultsKey findings include the need for shortened meeting times for meaningful engagement, opportunities for organizations to take on more active roles in the Collaboration, and enhanced community context expertise (i.e., those with lived experience) in all Collaboration initiatives. We identified additional elements to the core constructs of CI that are necessary for successful implementation: distinct role identification for partner organizations and incorporation of equity and inclusivity into collaboration processes and procedures.ConclusionsResults from this implementation evaluation provide valuable insights into implementation fidelity, participant experience, and implementation reach of an innovative, systems-level program. Findings demonstrate the context and requirements needed to successfully implement this innovative program approach and CI overall. Additional core elements for CI are identified and contribute to the growing body of literature on successful CI initiatives.

Abstract IA-03: Making progress, together: An inclusive, broad-based approach to reducing excess burden of breast cancer among African American women in St Louis - with lessons for national implementation

Abstract Breast cancer deaths in Missouri are among the highest in the Nation. In St Louis City and North County late-stage diagnosis and mortality have remained high. Cancer disparities can be driven by behavioral risk factors, by health systems, and by biology. Research on all these aspects must be rewarded in academic promotion and tenure review. Siteman created the Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) to build community partnerships and develop outreach and education; conduct quality improvement and research in breast health services; and train community members in public health research principles. We developed a breast cancer community partnership in 2007 and identified priorities for the community and the partnership. These included improve awareness of prevention and breast health services, build trust, develop strategies to help patients keep appointments, support adherence to routine screening. We partnered with the African American newspaper (The St Louis American), public library, and federally qualified health centers. In collaboration with FQHCs, we evaluated referral patterns and identified strategies to improve communication between providers. Using the collective impact model to sustain change, for over a decade PECaD supports the St Louis Regional Breast Navigator workgroup. Diagnoses of breast cancer among Black women were 32% stage III/IV in 2000. By 2019, Siteman had expanded services and partnerships to reduce late-stage diagnosis to 16.4% of incident cancers among Black women, still higher than 9.8% observed among white women. To ensure access to clinical trials we implemented system changes for monitoring trial protocols, defining eligibility targets by race, and monitored accruals by race, integrating the process into PRMC and Siteman leadership review. We reported breast cacner outcomes from SEER and Missouri cancer registries by race and engaged bench researchers to study pathways that may drive disparities. They now study pathways that may drive triple negative breast cancer in African American women and DNA repair pathways that may modify response to treatment. This includes research by Dr. Weber (breast program) on adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1, encoded by ADAR) and by Dr. Shao on repair of double strand DNA breaks that may counteract therapy for TNBC. We have expanded community service aspects of promotion review traditionally framed as service to medical center, university, and community. We now specifically call out service to Siteman through our Research Programs or Community Outreach and Engagement activities. Thus, faculty can make explicit their contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and their disparities focused research. By working at multiple levels, we have improved access to screening and breast health services, improving stage at diagnosis among African American women. We have engaged bench scientists to address excess risk of TNBC in African American women, and have used the promotion criteria to reward disparities and community engaged research. Citation Format: Graham A. Colditz. Making progress, together: An inclusive, broad-based approach to reducing excess burden of breast cancer among African American women in St Louis - with lessons for national implementation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-03.