Multisectoral Collaborations to Increase the Use of Recommended Cancer Screening and Other Clinical Preventive Services by Older Adults

Abstract

The Healthy Aging Partnerships in Prevention Initiative (HAPPI) is a multisectoral collaboration that aims to increase use of recommended cancer screening and other clinical preventive services (CPS) among underserved African American and Latino adults aged 50 and older in South Los Angeles. HAPPI uses the principles of the evidence-based model Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration to increase capacity for the delivery of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening, as well as influenza and pneumococcal immunizations, and cholesterol screening. This article describes HAPPI's collaborative efforts to enhance local capacity by training personnel from community health centers (CHCs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), implementing a small grants program, and forming a community advisory council. HAPPI demonstrates that existing resources in the region can be successfully linked and leveraged to increase awareness and receipt of CPS. Five CHCs expanded quality improvement efforts and eight CBOs reached 2,730 older African Americans and Latinos through locally tailored educational programs that encouraged community-clinic linkages. A community council assumed leadership roles to ensure HAPPI sustainability. The lessons learned from these collective efforts hold promise for increasing awareness and fostering the use of CPS by older adults in underserved communities.

Keywords: Capacity building; Community-based partnerships; Community–clinic linkages; Disease prevention; Health promotion; Immunizations.