The Practice of Hope

"Hope is the conviction that each of us, in some small way, can change the world." - Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark

As part of the 2019 UNM Summer Institute in Community Based Participatory Research for Health (CBPR), Laura Chanchien Parajon, MD, MPH will speak on Thursday, May 30 at 4:30 p.m., in the Domenici Center North Wing, Room 3720.

While the CBPR approach has been shown to improve health equity outcomes, CBPR requires time, resources and a commitment by leadership for implementation. So how do we make room for community-engaged approaches, when we have to balance urgent needs of community members with long-term social determinants of health to address root causes?

During her talk, Dr. Chanchien Parajon will share the experience of how a non-profit, community-based primary health care organization used the CBPR model as a tool for organizational change and for improved health equity outcomes. By integrating the principles and practice of CBPR as a way of life into the organization's DNA, they have improved the community practice of hope-listening to community priorities, engaging in equitable partnerships, creating supportive environments for transformative change, and taking action together for social justice.

Co-sponsors of this event include: MPH Program - College of Population Health, Center for Participatory Research, Offices of Community Health and Diversity, Center for Native American Health, UNM Center for Social Policy, Community Engagement - CTSC, and The University of New Mexico.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch a livestream of Dr. Chanchien Parajon's talk here.