Advancing Community Partnerships Partnerships to Increase Food
Access in Southern Dallas
Advancing Community Partnerships to Increase Food Access in Southern Dallas is a BUILD 3.0 Challenge Awardee created to enhance Dallas County’s community-based food distribution system using a data-driven approach to improve site selection as well as client health and wellbeing.
What factors are essential for effective cross-sector alignment?
Shared Purpose
- The mission and vision of this initiative is to advance partnerships to improve food access in Southern Dallas.
- The coalition’s strives to embed services with various distribution partners throughout Dallas County.
- Each partner brings different strengths including food distribution, outcome evaluation, data tracking and linkage, health promotion, health services, and serving low-income population groups.
Governance
- Three main organizations (Crossroads Community Services, Parkland Health, and Dallas County Health and Human Services) work together.
- Governance was still pending at the time of evaluation.
Data
- Parkland electronic health records (EHR) and population health registry data helps guide the selection of patient populations most in need of services.
- Crossroads’ Clientcare Longitudinal Database is used to track downstream health and healthcare impacts.
- Shared data systems were still in process.
Finance and Sustainability
- The coalition had initial funding of $250,000 through the BUILD Health Challenge with Parkland Health matching.
- The collaborative is in initial phases where they are producing the output to attract further funding and resources from the community.
Integration of Health Equity
- Establishes services targeting specific underserved zip codes based on results of the community needs assessment
- Creates equal access through telehealth
- Creates equal access to food
Community Trust and Accountability
- Builds trust with clients through focus groups and patient advisory councils to solicit feedback
- Hires people from diverse backgrounds and creating personal relationships with clients
Measures of Success
- Services provided, community health worker students trained, referrals, and how many clients returned
- Impact of food distribution and services on health outcomes
- Food security
Outcomes Achieved
- Work integrated into the community where the community is taking ownership
- Creation of a charitable food ecosystem