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Primary Submission Category: Health equity
REACHing Us: Advancing Population Health Equity Through Public–Community Partnership: A Framework for Innovation, Cultural Cohesion, and Systemic Influence
Authors: Charlene Addy McGee, ACHIEVE Coalition ,
Presenting Author: Charlene McGee*
Situated in the IAPHS conference’s host county, this panel highlights the Multnomah County REACH Program as a national model for transforming population health. The program’s success stems from an innovative culture and a strength-based approach, rooted in trust and dedicated to cultivating community health, healing, and wellness, addressing health disparities within Black/African American/Black immigrant and refugee communities, and prioritizing community wisdom to mesh public health and evidence to implement culturally tailored and effective interventions.
This work is grounded in a structure of shared governance that actively fosters social cohesion and collective accountability. In partnership with the ACHIEVE Community Coalition (which guides strategic focus), the REACH Program staff, principal investigator, and cross-sector partners demonstrate how a robust public–community framework can operationalize equity.
Panelists will present original, unpublished work illustrating the impact of REACH’s comprehensive, equity-centered strategy across four mutually reinforcing levers for redressing chronic diseases and promoting health: Built Environment & Physical Activity, Nutrition & Food Systems, Breastfeeding & Community-Clinical Linkages.
Through case examples, presenters will detail how this model, a key component of Multnomah County’s commitment to public health equity, leverages community expertise to achieve measurable impact. The panel will examine how bridging public health, cultural organizing, private-sector engagement, and systems-level change offers a highly replicable and innovative framework for other jurisdictions seeking to build trust and influence. Attendees will gain critical insight into how multisectoral partnerships can advance population health, strengthen community power, and successfully embed equity and social cohesion into practice.