Community Partnerships for Mobile Health Programs
Strong community partnerships are central to successful rural mobile health programs. Partnerships support both initial program launch and long-term sustainability.
Community partners can strengthen mobile health programs in the following ways:
- Access and Referral – Improving patient linkage and access to healthcare providers and resources, including specialists.
- Outreach and Awareness – Promoting mobile health programs and increasing community health knowledge and awareness of services.
- Infrastructure and Capacity – Contributing to road improvements or physical design elements of the mobile health units themselves, to bolster the program’s success.
- Networking and Growth – Recruiting additional mobile health programs and fostering involvement among providers and community members.
Community partners that can support mobile health programs include:
- Universities and university Extension services
- Local or state public health departments and agencies
- Health systems and hospitals
- Community health centers
- Emergency medical service associations
- Schools
- Nonprofit organizations
- Faith-based organizations
- Corporations or businesses
- Primary care and family medicine providers
- Home health agencies
- Community health workers
- Local emergency medical service providers
- Law enforcement
It is important to keep open communication with partners, through regular meetings and sharing updates. Continuous engagement can be particularly useful for linking individual patients to needed resources and for quickly identifying gaps in care. Many mobile health programs rely on partners to share costs, access resources, and address specific health needs within communities.
When community members are engaged from the outset, they are more likely to take ownership, spread awareness, and encourage participation in the program. A collaborative foundation can enhance outreach and facilitate enrollment once the program is launched.
Resources to Learn More
Engaging with the Community Before
Deploying a Rural Mobile Health Unit
Document
Provides an example of how nursing students learned community engagement approaches to implement a rural mobile
health unit.
Author(s): Dedman, D., et al.
Citation: The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 20(9), 105167
Date: 10/2024