title: Community ACTION boards: an innovative model for effective community-academic research partnerships.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires equitable partnerships between community stakeholders and academics. Traditionally, researchers relied on community advisory boards, but these boards often play a reactive role limited to a project-by-project basis. The East and Central Harlem Health Outcomes (ECHHO) Community Action Board (CAB), however, is an effective, proactive group.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The ECHHO board sought to identify key strategies and tools used to build and sustain the model, and to disseminate lessons learned to other community-academic partnerships.
  
  
  METHODS
  Current and former board members were interviewed and a wide range of related documents was reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The board became effective when it prioritized action and relationship-building, across seven key domains: Shared priorities, diversity, participation, transparency, mutual respect and recognition, and personal connections. The model is depicted graphically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community advisory boards may benefit from reduced emphasis on protocols and procedures, and increased attention to building relationships between academics and community members.
authors.affiliation: Fast and Central Harlem Health Outcomes Community Action Board; (2) The Institute for Family Health; (3) The Mount Sinai School of Medicine; (4) Renaissance Health Care Network; (5) East Harlem Partnership for Cancer Awareness Community Advisory Board.
authors.forename: Sherline
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Guedy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arniella
authors.forename: Nina A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bickell
authors.forename: Willie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Carol R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006292:Health Priorities; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City