Community Engagement: Leveraging Resources to Improve Health Outcomes.

Contributor: Lisa Campbell
May 5, 2019

Research/Theory Exemplar

Campbell, L. A., Whitcomb, K., McClanahan, C., & Culver, M. (2015). Community engagement: Leveraging resources to improve health outcomes. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 39(3). doi: 10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000117
Investigators

Lisa A. Campbell, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, Professor (primary author)

Kathryn Whitcomb, DNP, RN, CHSE Simulation Center Director/Associate Professor

Chris McClanahan, DNP, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor and Director, Simulation and Interprofessional Education

CAPT Martha Culver, DNP, RN, Public Health Nurse

Project dates  – 2013-2015
Location

Victoria County Public Health Department, Victoria, Texas

Figure 1. Leveraging resources model. From “Community Engagement Leveraging Resources to Improve Health Outcomes” by L.A. Campbell, K. Whitcomb, M. Culver, C. McClanahan, Nursing Administration Quarterly, 39(3), p. E29. Copyright 2015 Nursing Administration Quarterly. Used with permission.

Theoretical framework

We developed our model for leveraging re-sources through engagement. The model utilizes 4 critical collaborative capacity factors that focus on member capacity, relational capacity, organizational capacity, and programmatic capacity. These are symbolized through stakeholder engagement, shared vision, mutual goals, and leveraging resources. The model supports sustainability through communication and shifts in membership composition to maintain community efforts/programs.

Summary of study

To assess the community the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) tool was use with 22 commuity organizations from multiple sectors (i.e. public health, healthcare (acute care and long-term care), schools, universities, law enforcement, non-profits, faith-based organizations). The results informed the community health improvement plan and community health needs assessment. Critical to the process was stakeholder engagement, mutual goal setting, and leveraging resources to improve the health of the community. Out of this work we developed the Leveraging Resources Model.

Outcomes

The work began in late 2013 and was foundational to the Victoria Public Health Department’s continued efforts to improve the community’s health. The model was applied by health department staff when applying for grants, community and stakeholder engagement, and most recently when applying for public health accreditation.

Theoretical implications

It is our team’s desire that others will apply the model to community community engagement and leveraging resources.

Other citations

Ferguson, S., Campbell, L., & Neal, D. (2018). Community engagement approach: Developing an active living plan in rural Texas. Texas Public Health Association Journal, 70(2), 9-15.

About the Investigators
Lisa Campbell

Lisa Campbell

Dr. Lisa Campbell, PHNA-BC is a professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, where teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. She has been a registered professional nurse for 35 years. Her teaching focus for doctoral students is population health, epidemiology, and health policy. Through her teaching role, Dr. Campbell engages students in real-world population health and policy projects. Her research includes the impact of incivilities on faculty, students, and staff; and strategies to create a civil workplace culture, changes in public health nursing practice and the Affordable Care Act and WIC peer counselor support and breastfeeding.

Dr. Campbell founded Population Health Consultants, LLC a company whose mission is devoted to improving population health. She consults with communities to evaluate local public health systems, facilitates community health needs assessments, community health improvement plans, and strategic planning for local and regional public health departments. Recently she served as the director of the Victoria County Public Health Department that served three counties. She led a diverse staff and implemented initiatives to advance public health in these rural communities.

Dr. Campbell is the chair of the American Public Health Associate Public Health Nursing Section, co-chair of the Quad Council Coalition of Public Health Nursing Organizations, and a member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments’ Board of Directors. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focus in public health nursing from the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, Memphis, her BSN and MSN from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing, Houston and post-Master’s as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner.

Kathyn Whitcomb

Kathryn Whitcomb

Dr. Kathryn Whitcomb has appointments at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s as Director of the interprofessional Simulation Center on the regional campus in Abilene, TX, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing’s Master of Nursing-Education and RN-BSN programs. Dr Whitcomb also has a dual appointment to the School of Pharmacy as Clinical Instructor. She is a liaison, mentor, and advocate for best practices simulation to all faculty, students, and community members utilizing simulation.

Dr. Whitcomb is involved with internal committees and programs, she is currently co-chair of the Coordination Council, the shared governance council for all schools and programs in the School of Nursing. Additionally, Dr. Whitcomb is involved in a number of external professional organizations. She is currently the Chair for committees with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning. She is also on the Education committee for Texas League for Nursing, the Awards committee for the National League of Nursing.

Dr. Whitcomb’s professional interests and expertise includes leadership, mentoring, interprofessional education and collaboration, research and quality improvement, population health, telehealth, and healthcare simulation education.

Chris McClanahan

Chris McClanahan

Dr. Chris McClanahan is a highly motivated, focused, outcomes oriented educator with experience in operating and managing multiple interprofessional simulation centers within large Central and West Texas Universities, and the clinical education department of a large private 400 bed hospital system in Central Texas. A dynamic and extremely aggressive leadership pathway has led to progressive leadership development, equitable systems management and successful educator and management roles. Dr. McClanahan received his Bachelors and Master of Science in Nursing from Lubbock Christian University in 2009 and 2010 respectively, and his Doctor of Nursing Practice from Texas Tech University in 2014. Dr. McClanahan’s doctoral research focus dives deep into the operational and management practices of clinical simulation centers in the U.S. Dr. McClanahan’s extensive experience in managing daily operations to provide high quality learning experiences and educational opportunities for medical students and clinical professionals of all disciplines thorough both simulation and didactic courses. Dr. McClanahan received his Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator certification in 2017 is evidence of his commitment to quality education. Dr. McClanahan holds membership and serves in numerous professional organizations.

Martha E. Culver

CAPT Martha Culver, DNP, RN, Acting Deputy Regional Administrator for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Office of Regional Operations (ORO), Dallas Regional Division. CAPT Culver is responsible for developing strategic plans to increase health care services for underserved populations in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.