Community and Stakeholder Partnerships

PROJECT SUMMARY Stark racial inequities in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality continue in Allegheny County, PA, although many adverse events are preventable. One path to improve reproductive health equity among Black birthing people is through an expansion of community-partnered and community-centered research, training, education, and engagement. The Community

Component of the EMBRACE (Equity Maternal and Birthing Outcomes and Reproductive Health through Community Engagement) Center of Excellence will implement a strengths- based community engagement strategy to promote bi-directional and process-driven learning, research, education, and training in perinatal and maternal research in Allegheny County, PA.

Through intentional integration of interdisciplinary community collaborators in all aspects of the research lifecycle; training and education opportunities; knowledge generation and skill-sharing; and dissemination and implementation of research findings, the Community Component will leverage existing networks to advance coordinated efforts of research and community agencies

that are invested in maternal health. The Community Component will work closely alongside EMBRACE Research Projects and the Training Component to ensure equal and equitable practices throughout, utilizing reproductive health equity and health justice frameworks, approaches, and best-practices for Black-centered and community-engaged work. As a result,

the Community Component will serve as a trusted hub within EMBRACE for individuals and agencies to build community, capacity, and infrastructure for advancing Black maternal health and eliminating racial maternal health disparities in Allegheny County.