Lessons Learned from the Evolution of an Academic Community Partnership: Creating "Patient Voices"

The Problem: Long-term partners received federal funding to develop the Patient Voices Network, a partnership of safety-net family practices and their patients to develop health improvement strategies. The scope and structure of the newly funded grant presented unexpected challenges that threatened the future of the partnership. Purpose of Article: To present a case study of the evolution of an existing partnership and offer lessons learned along with recommendations for future partnerships. Key Points: Federal funding formalized the partnership in a way that required looking at it through a new lens. Leadership, programmatic, personnel, and financial challenges emerged. Short-term and long-term strategies were applied to address evolving needs. Conclusions: This case study demonstrates how federal funding raises the bar for academic-community partnerships and how challenges can be worked through, particularly if the partnership embraces the key principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR). Recommendations have been applied successfully to future initiatives.