Health Leadership in Community-Based Organizations
Written by:
North Carolina Central University
• Oct 15, 2024
Health Leadership In Community-Based Organizations
Health leadership plays a pivotal role in addressing health care challenges at the community level, especially in underserved populations. By partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs), health leaders can drive meaningful change in health care access, quality of care, and patient outcomes.
In this article, we’ll explore the role of health leadership in CBOs. Then we’ll discuss how these organizations address health disparities, highlight examples of health care leadership in action, and outline potential career paths for individuals with a degree in health care administration.
What Is Community Health Leadership?
Community health leadership involves guiding and coordinating efforts to improve the overall health and well-being of local populations. Typically, health leaders conduct a discovery process identifying all the major health care challenges facing the community. The preventable differences that lead to higher rates of health care issues in certain groups are known as health disparities.
Health disparities are often complex and multifaceted. Factors that may influence someone’s access to care and quality of care can be social and economic. They may be related to:
- Age
- Gender
- Religion
- Disability status
- Mental health status
- Lack of access to care
- Lack of insurance
- Racial and ethnic disparities
- Immigrant status
- Level of education
- Shortage of health care resources
- Sexual orientation
- Socioeconomic status
- Environmental factors
How Communities Health Leaders Work to Reduce Disparities
After identifying the challenges facing their communities and the groups they impact, health leaders develop strategies to address these issues. They work closely with community-based organizations, health care providers, local governments, and other stakeholders to create programs that meet the needs of underserved populations.
Health leaders also focus on reducing health disparities by addressing social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and employment, that significantly impact an individual’s ability to access quality health care services.
To improve health care access, health leaders implement initiatives, such as mobile health clinics, telehealth services, and community outreach programs, that bring health care directly to those who need it most. They work to break down barriers, such as transportation, financial constraints, and lack of awareness, by offering services in accessible locations and providing education about available health care options.
Additionally, health leaders continuously seek ways to improve the quality of care within the community, often by promoting evidence-based practices, advocating for policy changes, and ensuring that health care providers are equipped with the necessary resources to deliver high-quality care. By fostering partnerships and prioritizing patient-centered care, community health leaders create sustainable health systems that benefit the entire community.
What Are Community-Based Organizations?
Community-based organizations are nonprofit entities that operate at the local level, often working directly with community members to address social, economic, and health issues. Unlike larger, centralized health systems, CBOs are typically smaller and deeply embedded in the communities they serve, allowing them to tailor services to meet local needs. These organizations focus on addressing health disparities driven by social and economic factors, such as poverty, lack of education, unemployment, and limited access to health care services.
Why Are Community-Based Organizations Important?
CBOs play an essential role in making health care more accessible to vulnerable populations. They address critical gaps in health care systems by offering culturally competent services and building trust within the community. This trust is essential for improving health outcomes, particularly in populations that may have historically experienced health care inequities.
Key ways community-based organizations contribute to community health include the following:
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Providing Targeted Health Care Resources: CBOs tailor services to address specific health concerns and challenges within the community.
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Reducing Health Care Disparities: By addressing the social and economic factors that contribute to poor health outcomes, CBOs help reduce health inequities.
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Increasing Access to Care: CBOs create pathways to care by offering services directly within the community, often at little or no cost to individuals who lack health insurance or financial resources.
Examples of Health Leadership in Action
Health leaders working with CBOs take on critical roles in ensuring that these organizations can effectively serve their communities. By fostering partnerships, mobilizing resources, and developing strategies that address public health challenges, health leaders enhance the capacity of community-based organizations to create lasting impact.
Building Strategic Partnerships
Health leaders often facilitate partnerships between CBOs and larger health care systems, governmental agencies, or academic institutions. These collaborations help CBOs access the resources, funding, and expertise needed to scale their services. For example, a health leader might help a CBO partner with a local hospital bring mobile clinics to underserved areas, increasing access to medical care for community members.
Advocating for Policy Change
Health leaders play a significant role in advocating for public policies that address the root causes of health disparities. By working with CBOs, they can provide data, insights, and firsthand accounts that influence local or state health care policy, ensuring that legislation supports the needs of underserved populations.
Mobilizing Community Resources
Health leaders in CBOs are responsible for developing programs that effectively use available community resources. For instance, a health leader might implement a community health worker program, training local residents to provide peer education, advocacy, and health navigation services. This strategy empowers communities to take an active role in their health care while also addressing their immediate needs.
Implementing Public Health Campaigns
Health leaders often collaborate with CBOs to design and implement public health campaigns targeting critical health issues, such as vaccination, maternal health, or substance use. These campaigns help spread awareness, provide education, and encourage healthier behaviors within the community.
Careers in Health Leadership That Work With CBOs
For individuals interested in pursuing a career in health leadership, several potential paths are available that involve working with or supporting community-based organizations. These roles focus on improving health care access, quality, and policy within the community.
Health Care Consultant
Health care consultants work with health care organizations, including CBOs, to improve their operational efficiency, program effectiveness, and financial sustainability. They analyze health care systems, policies, and processes to identify opportunities for improvement and develop strategic plans for implementation.
Health Care Administrator
Health care administrators can support CBOs by developing partnerships that expand health care access, sharing medical resources, and coordinating community health programs. In this health leadership role, health care administrators can help secure CBO funding, align health care services to meet the community’s needs, and create streamlined processes that improve patient care while addressing social determinants of health.
Long-Term Care Administrator
Age and disability status are among the health disparities that CBOs address. Long-term care administrators can collaborate with community-based organizations by coordinating resources, such as access to health care services, nutrition programs, and social support for older adult populations and individuals with disabilities. They may also support CBOs by sharing expertise in patient care management, advocating for policy changes that benefit vulnerable groups, and helping create integrated care plans that address the health and social needs of the community.
Become a Health Leader Who Enhances Community Health
By working in partnership with local communities, health care leaders can ensure that essential services reach those who need them most. Whether through strategic partnerships, advocacy, or community-focused policy changes, health leaders are essential in creating a more equitable health care system.
The online Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Administration degree completion program from NCCU Online can help you move forward in your career. You can pursue several opportunities in the field, including working with community-based organizations on initiatives you’re passionate about. Conducted in a convenient online format, the health administration program teaches students about the health care system, community-based health organizations, and professional ethical codes and laws in health care.
Learn more about the program to see how it supports your goals of addressing the health disparities within your community and enhancing access to medical care.
Recommended Readings
What Is a Social and Community Service Manager?
Sources:
Administration for Community Living, Advancing Partnerships to Align Health Care and Human Services
CDC Foundation, Strengthening Partnerships Between Public Health and Community-Based Organizations
Center for Health Care Strategies, “Incorporating Community-Based Organizations in Medicaid Efforts
to Address Health-Related Social Needs: Key State Considerations”
KFF, “Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key Questions and Answers”
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “Community-Based Organizations Are
Important Partners for Health Care Systems”
Verywell Health, “Health Disparities: What They Mean and Examples”