Developing Communities

Connection with resources through partners the community knows and trusts gives visiting teams a perspective they may not have otherwise - fostering empowered communities.

By leveraging the established trust, infrastructure, and resources of development agencies in the field, such as the Peace Corps, the Global Community Health Collaborative model is well positioned to have an immediate and sustainable impact.  Agency workers, such as Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV), being integrated within the community and trained extensively in cultural competency and local language, are highly qualified field workers.  Peace Care works with these field workers who have training and a background in health, work closely with local stakeholders, understand the local language and culture, and are in a unique position to advocate for the community.  These field workers traditionally conduct projects in a highly sustainable manner by consistently collaborating with a local counterpart.  By working in conjunction with agency workers living within the community and providing them with technical expertise, Peace Care is a significant asset in their ability to foster high impact community health solutions.  In the case of Peace Corps this is critical in the  attainment of the first goal of, "Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women."  These field workers are in a unique position to provide critical guidance in language and culture to the visiting teams, while, as well, advocating for the needs of the community alongside the community leaders and stakeholders with whom they work closely on a daily basis.

Through careful evaluation of all collaboratives a compendium of curricula and projects proven through field implementation is developed, benefiting individual communities, neighboring regions, and, as well, the discipline of global health.

Peace Care implements, within existing health care delivery systems, health collaboratives which enhance new local research and clinical service capacities through skills transference to develop and retain local health care workforce; enhance quality of care; and improve clinical and population health outcomes.  Peace Care assesses the impact of these efforts to foster greater health equity and improved health services outcomes.  The best existing evidence is used at all phases of the project to help shape each step, but, more importantly, because of the unique partnerships involved, the community voice is emphasized ensuring alignment with community priorities and fostering sustainability through local ownership and empowerment.

Linking communities to extensive academic resources through a model that prioritizes the local perspectives and priorities, ensures sustainable health systems strengthening projects.

A Global Community Health Collaborative is with the LMIC community, a health care institution (tied to a larger academic institution or independant), and a U.S. school of public health.  While trained health care workers in LMICs are just as proficient as U.S. trained staff, health care personnel in any setting need continuing medical education.  The teaching capacity to offer, plan, and institute this type of training is much more readily available in U.S. institutions than it often is in LMIC communities.  Thus, the ability of U.S. institutions to assist in the continued education of health professionals around the world carries significant potential and could make a considerable impact.   

However, the potential for greater impact comes from the ability to also transfer the training capacity of the U.S. institution, in collaboration with local physicians and existing health care workers, to the building of health care capacity within the LMIC community.  Community Health workers are trained to participate within and support the local health system and detailed community health education programs are developed and implemented in line with the expressed priorities of the community.  The evidence-based manner in which Peace Care develops or adapts best practices from around the globe ensures that programs have the best opportunity for success when combined with the motivation and request of the community, itself. 

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