The evolving role of partnerships in addressing community public health issues: policy and ethical implications.
The current state of health insurance coverage in the United States is deteriorating. Historically, efforts to address access at the federal level have met with insurmountable opposition. This article describes a model utilizing the Partnership Approach to Community Health Improvement to engage communities in developing creative ways of addressing local health issues, discusses the policy implications of such a model, and explores ethical issues inherent in the discussion of universal access. An argument is presented for a national dialogue seeking societal agreement to approach access and health from a perspective of solidarity.
Wendel
Monica L
ML
Center for Community Health Development, Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, College Station, USA. mwendel@tamu.edu
Burdine
James N
JN
McLeroy
Kenneth R
KR
D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004991:Ethics, Institutional; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D017146:Models, Organizational; D012922:Social Change; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*