title: Lessons learned and challenges in building a Filipino health coalition.
abstract: In recent years, community-based coalitions have become an effective channel to addressing various health problems within specific ethnic communities. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to describe the process involved in building the Kalusugan Coalition (KC), a Filipino American health coalition based in New York City, and (b) to highlight the lessons learned and the challenges from this collaborative venture. The challenges described also offer insights on how the coalition development process can be greatly affected by the partnership with an academic institution on a community-based research project. Because each cultural group has unique issues and concerns, the theoretical framework used by KC offers creative alternatives to address some of the challenges regarding coalition infrastructures, leadership development, unexpected change of coalition dynamics, and cultural nuances.
authors.affiliation: Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., in New York, New York, Project AsPIRE at the Center for the Study of Asian American Health at the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Noilyn
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abesamis-Mendoza
authors.forename: Rhodora
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ursua
authors.forename: Lily Ann M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Divino
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cadag
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Gavin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003256:Community Participation; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009519:New York City; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D016730:Program Development; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult