Moderator:
Deborah Willis-Fillinger, MD
Midwest HRSA Field Coordinator, Midwest HRSA Field Office 

Panelists:
Kathye Gorosh
Executive Director, The CORE Foundation

Focused on public-private partnerships, drawing on the experience of the CORE Foundation HIV/AIDS collaboration with the Cooke County Hospital.

Key Messages:

• Key factor is obtaining buy-in from the leaders of institutions.
• Major challenge is to be comprehensive and inclusive while addressing political considerations.
• Maintaining an open process is critical.
• For intra-institutional support, key is finding a common goal.
• Program planning can be challenging when participants are used to limitations.
• Continual communication is crucial.
• Partnership must bring value to each partner.
• Important to slowly introduce new partners.

Susan McLoughlin
Maternal and Child Health Coalition of Greater Kansas City

Addressed local level partnership development based on the Maternal and Child Health Coalition of Greater Kansas City.

The following core values are essential for an effective partnership:

• Inclusion of a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations.
• Collaboration develops the synergy necessary for change.
• Integrity: actions honor mission and purpose.
• Sensitivity is important to recognize and address individual needs and concerns within a framework of best practices.
• Empowerment of members by building their capacity and responding to their needs is critical so they, in turn, may empower others.
• Equity: maternal and child health services are optimized for all women and children.
• Continuous Quality Improvement by translating knowledge into practice.
• Communicating effectively is increasingly important as organization grows.

Thomas Houston, MD
Director, Department of Preventive Medicine, American Medical Association

Spoke about AMA's work, for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, at the state level to promote "Smokeless States."

Key Messages:

• By putting out a Request for Proposal from states and accepting only one per state, state organizations were motivated to work together.
• Important to allow for diversity of approaches and to provide technical assistance and support.
• Depth and breadth of coalitions adds to their strength; for example, one was composed of sixteen different kinds of organizations.

Paul W. Nannis, MSW
Director, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation, Health Resources and Services Administration

Key Messages:

• Stressed that HHS leadership is committed to participating in coalitions and partnerships.
• Partnerships are becoming more prevalent and are more respected.

Comments/Questions from Open Discussion with Participants:

• How to deal effectively with cultural differences? Important to listen and understand all perspectives, and gradually incorporate other sectors into discussions.

• Neutral, consensus objectives like Healthy People can help to establish common ground. Consensus involves believing in enough of the same goals.

• Important to create a win/win situation for all partners.

• Essential to build trust among members.

Summary of Discussion:

• Identify common ground.
• Build trust.
• Introduce partners gradually.
• Goal/mission driven--identify values.
• Outreach and responsiveness to stakeholders.
• Incorporate local priorities.
• Dreaming with partners.
• Top level buy-in.
• Breadth of partnership members: multi-level, public and private to gain strengths of all.
• Diversity of expertise.

Chicago Transcripts and Summaries