OUR HEALTHY COMMUNITY
Stories of Success
The bigger story
Every partner is different. Our process isn't.
Whether we're working with a university lab, a CRO, an industry sponsor, or a foundation, we bring the same approach and the same network to connect people with the opportunities that matter to them.
Academia
We help research institutions bring patient community insight into their early-stage research.
CRO
We help CROs ground their research design in real patient community perspective before it moves further downstream.
Industry
We help industry sponsors understand patient communities early, before decisions are locked in.
Foundation
We help foundations connect their mission to the patient communities they're working to serve.
Academia - Platform Validation: Black Women's Health Literacy Toolkit
The Ask
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)'s Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative wanted to know if a culturally appropriate digital platform could connect and support Black women leaders of community-based organizations in Cleveland, and whether that same platform could help co-create materials to improve Black women's health literacy and participation in clinical research.
The Approach
OHC identified 35 Black women-led CBOs across Cleveland and invited them onto the OHCEngage platform. Through a series of focus groups and co-design workshops with CWRU, participants helped build culturally tailored health literacy and clinical trial materials, and were compensated for their time.
The Outcome
The project validated OHCEngage as a usable, culturally appropriate way to connect and collaborate with Black women CBO leaders, produced a set of culturally tailored materials, and gave CTSC a foundation to scale the platform to other projects focused on health equity.
Foundation - Landscape Assessment: Louisiana Digital Health Hub
The Ask
Could a Louisiana-focused digital health hub work for communities digital health keeps leaving behind, and what would it take to build one people actually trust and use? The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) and the Civic Learning Exchange (CLX) needed an answer.
The Approach
A mixed-methods study (survey, focus group, interviews, and a standing Advisory Circle), recruited through OHCEngage and compensated. Louisiana communities named the real barriers, affordability, digital literacy, broadband gaps, cultural fit, and what would earn trust: community-majority governance, culturally grounded design, visible data stewardship.
The Outcome
Verdict: viable. BWF and CLX got a roadmap for inclusive governance, equity infrastructure, three to five high-need apps, and a phased pilot. Community insight didn't just inform the recommendations, it set them.
Industry - Community Intelligence: Clinical Trial Education Toolkit
The Ask
Clinical trial materials weren't reaching Black and African American communities. With support from Merck, Health Literacy Media and OHC set out to find out why, and to build materials that actually work.
The Approach
15 Black faith- and community-based leaders across Atlanta and Augusta, recruited and compensated for two rounds of focus groups.
The Outcome
A community co-created clinical trial education toolkit, a validated co-creation process, and a standing community panel: all 15 leaders committed to continued review, with expansion underway to New Orleans and Cleveland on the OHCEngage platform. The community gained compensation, education, and materials that actually serve them.
Industry - Survey Validation: Oncology Trial Barriers Assessment
The Ask
Gilead was building a survey to understand why minority patients enroll, or don't, in oncology trials. Before fielding it, they needed to know the questions themselves were culturally appropriate.
The Approach
IQVIA and Gilead developed a draft survey, then brought in OHC, which bridges the gap between researchers and communities of color, to run a focus group evaluating it for clarity and cultural appropriateness. Participants were community members from minority racial and ethnic groups, not oncology patients, reflecting how the survey would land with the broader community it was meant to reach.
The Outcome
The focus group confirmed the survey was clear and usable, and surfaced the trusted voices and information sources that matter most to minority communities, sharpening the survey's specificity. It also identified concrete strategies for building trust, directly supporting the study's goal of closing the racial and ethnic gap in oncology trial enrollment.
Foundation - Recruitment Redesign: Parkinson's Research Materials
The Ask
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) wanted to improve diversity and representation in an upcoming patient interview study refining the MDS-UPDRS scale for early Parkinson's. IQVIA partnered with OHC to gather community feedback on the study design and materials.
The Approach
IQVIA engaged OHC to run a focus group with a racially and ethnically diverse group of patients and caregivers, testing the cultural appropriateness of patient-facing materials. Given the complexity of debriefing the MDS-UPDRS, OHC also conducted a mock interview with a Parkinson's patient to test the discussion guide itself.
The Outcome
Materials were updated to feel more approachable and ease participant concerns, and to be more transparent about data handling and build trust. The mock interview reshaped the discussion guide to reduce participant burden while still capturing quality insights.
Our Healthy Community Stories
"We see this as an opportunity to create a dynamic space where people can engage, learn, and join the fight for maternal health."
Gabrielle “Gabby” Albert
4Kira4Moms Executive Director
"Women Connected for Better Health (WCBH) is more than just a space, it’s where real connection happens. It brings together women from every background to engage in bold, honest conversations, build authentic relationships, and drive meaningful change in our communities."
Tinika Sanders
Director of Community Engagement for Our Healthy Community (OHC)
Facts & Figures
The Impact of Our Work
200%
Year over Year Growth
Over the past year, OHC has experienced remarkable expansion, with 200% year-over-year growth — a testament to its strategy, partnerships, and growing community trust.
100+
Community Organizations
More than 100 community organizations are represented and engaged in OHCEngage — reflecting a broad and diverse network of partners community to improving community health and research.
Rapidly growing network
Built for collaboration and impact
Our network exists to improve trust, representation, and outcomes in healthcare research and community.