title: Collaborating to address infant mortality: lessons learned from the Brownsville action community for health equality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brownsville Action Community for Health Equality (BACHE) is a coalition-based, service system change pilot for African American and Puerto Rican women of Brownsville, a community within Brooklyn, New York, with disproportionately high rates of infant mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Identify "lessons learned" from the implementation phase of a 5-year pilot project that employs a community-based participatory (CBPR) approach to reducing risk factors for infant mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with BACHE's partners throughout 2010. Sessions were audiotaped and transcribed. Data was incorporated into a framework based on grounded theory and interpreted by project partners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lessons learned related to engaging partners, leveraging community resources, dealing with highly structured institutions, measuring progress, and promoting and sustaining system change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A service system change pilot like BACHE requires: social capital, capable partners, a strong coalition, flexibility of approach, internal champions, systems knowledge, awareness of policy, and strong community involvement.
authors.affiliation: Brooklyn Perinatal Network, USA.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: Ngozi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: Margaretta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Georgianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glose
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marshall-Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006265:Health Care Coalitions / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011247:Pregnancy; D015397:Program Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult