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: Could a culturally appropriate platform help Black women community leaders in Cleveland work together to create health information for clinical research?
The Approach
OHC recruited 35 Black women-led CBOs onto OHCEngage. Through focus groups and co-design workshops with CWRU, participants co-created culturally tailored health literacy and clinical trial materials, with equitable compensation.
The Outcome
Validated OHCEngage as a usable, culturally appropriate collaboration platform; produced culturally tailored materials; and established a foundation to scale across health equity projects.
Foundation - Landscape Assessment: Louisiana Digital Health Hub
The Ask
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) and the Civic Learning Exchange (CLX) wanted to know: Could a Louisiana digital health hub actually work for communities left behind by health tech? What would it take to build one that people would trust and use?
The Approach
OHC surveyed, interviewed, and held focus groups with Louisiana communities (and paid them for their time). People shared what was really in the way: cost, digital skills, broadband gaps, and cultural fit. They also said what would make them trust it: community members making decisions, design that fits their culture, and honesty about how data gets used.
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
The community created a toolkit about clinical trials, figured out a way to work together that actually works, and formed a group of 15 leaders who keep meeting. All 15 are staying involved, and the work is growing to New Orleans and Cleveland. The community members got paid, learned new skills, and now have materials that actually help them.
Industry - Survey Validation: Oncology Trial Barriers Assessment
The Ask
Gilead was building a survey to understand why minority patients enroll, or don't participate in oncology trials. Before fielding it, they needed to know the questions themselves were culturally appropriate.
The Approach
IQVIA and Gilead drafted a survey and brought in OHC to test it with communities of color. OHC gathered community members from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, not cancer patients, to check if it was clear and culturally appropriate. The survey was meant for the general community, not just patients, so it needed to work for the people who'd actually use it.
The Outcome
The focus group proved the survey was clear and easy to use. They showed which trusted voices and sources matter most to communities of color. That made the survey stronger and more specific. They also identified real ways to build trust that directly help close the racial gap in cancer trial participation.
Foundation - Recruitment Redesign: Parkinson's Research Materials
The Ask
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) wanted to include more diverse participants in a Parkinson's study. IQVIA partnered with OHC to get feedback from the community on the study design and materials.
The Approach
OHC ran a focus group with patients and caregivers from different racial and ethnic backgrounds to check if the study materials made sense and felt right to them. Because the Parkinson's scale being tested was complex, OHC also did a practice interview with a patient to see if the interview questions actually worked.
The Outcome
The study materials were updated to feel more welcoming and answer people's questions about how their information would be used. The practice interview helped improve the interview questions to make them easier for people while still getting good information.
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.