Institute for Health Equity (v2)

Community Organizing and Research Engagement (CORE)

Research Priorities

Module for CORE:

The CORE team brings together community members, partners and health care staff to collaborate on policy and systems change projects that aim to address root causes of health inequities and/or improvements in patient-engagement. The CORE team uniquely combines best practices in community-engagement, community organizing, and community-based participatory research through a community power-building framework.

CORE Team Components:

Partner engagement and mobilization
Community engagement and mobilization
Community based participatory research
Provider engagement

Health Research Model:

Community Organizing and Research Engagement (CORE) Initiatives
The CORE team engages patients and the community in the research process. By empowering patients through this community-based participatory approach, the team seeks to eliminate the structural inequities responsible for health disparities.

Learn how to work with the Institute’s Research Team:

Thank you for your interest in working with the Institute’s Research Team. We are delighted to learn about your research project and establish a partnership. To provide equitable opportunity to all external partners, we kindly request that you follow the application process. The first step is to submit your letter of intent application. If the project meets the eligibility criteria an invitation to submit a full application will be sent to the principal investigator. After the full application is reviewed, an evaluation will be conducted to determine whether the project aligns with the objectives and capabilities of AltaMed Health Research Institute.

Apply for a research partnership:

The application does not have a save function. We suggest that you work on the application on a different platform, such as a Word processor, and paste your responses when you are ready to submit the full application.

Initial Letter of Intent Application: https://forms.monday.com/forms/11e7df31b05b8e24ca399f750790c261?r=use1

We look forward to learning about your research proposal.

Invitation for full application:

To facilitate a thorough evaluation of your project in alignment with the objectives and capabilities of AltaMed, we kindly request the submission of several documents of critical importance. These documents will enable a comprehensive understanding of your project's scope.

For administrative efficiency and clarity, we ask that you append your name to each document's title (for example, "PI Name _Project Name_ Document Name"). The documents required are as follows:

AltaMed Application for Research Partnership

https://wkf.ms/49xaPR5

AltaMed Data Request Form

https://forms.monday.com/forms/a28b6ac5525a8f05d1248b8db79e88a1?r=use1

AltaMed Data Story

To be provided via email in PowerPoint format

AltaMed Dissemination Plan

https://forms.monday.com/forms/1722d13a663d128d50d38c910e696e15?r=use1

The review process for your application will be comprehensive, involving consultations with relevant stakeholders within our organization. It will assess the scientific rigor of your proposal, its relevance to advancing healthcare equity, and its practical feasibility in the context of AltaMed’s strategic priorities.

Questions about research partnerships.

For any questions regarding the research partnership process, application, and status contact Sheila Salinas Navarro, Research Program Manager, ssnavarro@altamed.org or 323-394-5734.

Research, Implementation Science and Evaluation

Research

We study, develop, implement, and disseminate novel community health delivery models that integrate community perspectives, address social needs, combat structural racism, and move the needle on population health. We have National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and foundation funding to investigate these questions. Particular areas of focus include disparities in cancer screening and the effects of social interventions on health care systems.

Research Partnerships

We partner with other organizations and researchers to elevate and advance our work. For research projects proposed by external investigators, we ask Physician Assistants (PIs) to go through our research partnership process, which starts with the completion of a brief Letter of intent form (LOI). You can find that form here. Completing that form will kick off our review process, and we will reach out with any follow-up questions if your project seems feasible and has the potential to be a good fit. If so, we will invite you to complete a full research partnership application. Broadly, we review projects based on three criteria: (1) scientific rigor, (2) relevance to advancing equity, and (3) practical feasibility. Please note that any projects involving in-clinic interventions and/or time from clinical staff can raise significant feasibility challenges and require special consideration. Any use of AltaMed data also requires careful consideration and appropriate data-sharing agreements, which can take time to formalize.

Innovative Service Delivery Programs

Featured Programs:

Service Grant Programs

The Institute provides an operational network for pilot programs to thrive. When a pilot succeeds, the next crucial step is institutionalizing. We cross-collaborate with providers to maintain the project's integrity and extend its impact across Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Youth Services

Empowering young people to take agency in their health, education, and family planning. The Youth Services team composed of care coordinators and case managers, supports patients with individualized plans for education and health goals, from career advisement to parenting classes and everything in between.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Network of Care and Screening Program 

The more ACEs a child experiences, the more likely they are to experience negative impacts on their overall well-being. Children with high ACEs scores are more likely to develop chronic illnesses or underperform in school. By reducing families' sources of stress, we can prevent the harm caused by ACEs. The Institute trains providers to assess pediatric patients for toxic stress. Patients and families are then connected with a network of resources to address the patient’s toxic stress and improve their overall well-being. The pilot program has screened over a thousand pediatric patients with plans to expand across clinics. 

HIV Prevention and Awareness

Serving more than 250,000 patients annually, AltaMed is one of the largest HIV service providers in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Institute seeks to expand inclusive, culturally sensitive services into primary care settings. We train health professionals to use trauma-informed care approaches to sexual health, arming our clinics with knowledge of PrEP, PEP, and LGBTQ+ care.

Doctor explaining something to a patient

Undergraduate Medical Education

AltaMed’s Medical Education team develops opportunities for all learners. We partner with AltaMed clinics, universities, and organizations to provide exemplary hands-on learning experiences.

AltaMed Scholars, Health Career Opportunities, and Primary Care Leadership Programs offer on-the-job exposure to young professionals interested in health careers. Participants serve in several capacities, such as medical scribes and health equity navigators. We will be accepting applications for our Health Career Opportunities Program beginning in 2025.
The Nurse Workforce Diversity Program supports current AltaMed licensed vocational nurses working to advance their careers. In collaboration with American Career College, the grant-funded program provides financial and academic support to LVNs studying to become registered nurses.

AltaMed Scholars

The AltaMed Scholars Program is a six-week, pre-health/pre-medicine summer enrichment program in Los Angeles. Participants attend an array of workshops on topics such as health equity, clinical skills, and pre-health professional development. The program prepares participants for the application process for graduate health professional programs and engages them in research activities that focus on serving historically disinvested communities. Along with providing a multi-tiered level of mentorship, the program's overall purpose is to expose and train the next generation of multi-ethnic health care professionals.

Applications: December through March
Summer Program: June and July
Contact: altamedsummerprogram@altamed.org

Cástulo de la Rocha Health Equity and Community Empowerment Scholarship (CRHECE)

The Cástulo de la Rocha Health Equity and Community Empowerment Scholarship (CRHECE) was founded by President de la Rocha, in partnership with UC Santa Barbara and the Chicanx Studies Department. CRHECE is a unique pathway program where participants learn about advocacy opportunities that involve public policy, health equity, and understanding the effects caused by historically disinvested communities. This unique pathway program exists simultaneously with the AltaMed Summer Scholars Program and allows for an opportunity for interprofessional education amongst our various summer programs, and multi-tiered level of mentorship.

Applications: December through March
Summer Program: June and July
Contact: altamedsummerprogram@altamed.org

Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP)

The National Medical Fellowships (NMF), Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP) develops future leaders in the field, improving access for the nation’s most underserved communities. For six weeks each summer, PCLP Scholars experience the challenges and rewards of primary care in community health centers (CHCs) across the nation through leadership training, service-learning projects, and health care delivery. AltaMed serves as a site partner for the NMF.

NMF Website: NMF Primary Care Leadership Program | National Medical Fellowships (nmfonline.org)
Contact: pclpinfo@nmfonline.org
Summer Program: June and July

Mentored Internship Program (MIP)

In partnership with the University of Southern California (USC) and Advocates for Human
Potential (AHP), the Mentorship Internship Program (MIP) is an immersive eight-month
internship experience available to eligible Master of Social Work Students at USC. The
purpose of the program is to expose MSW students to a variety of health-related learning
opportunities that will equip them with the knowledge, skills, and experience in behavioral
health, biopsychosocial screening, case management, and Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACEs). The MIP centers on training and supporting the MSW scholars with the tools
needed to provide comprehensive care to patients/clients from historically disinvested
communities.

Timeline:
MIP is an in-person program, and will start on late August of 2024, and will finish. End of April 2025.
Contact: elbmunoz@altamed.org

Two doctors walking around talking about some topic

Graduate Medical Education (GME)

AltaMed is home to several post-graduate medical education training opportunities. Based in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), AltaMed GME programs aim to train and retain high quality, mission aligned physicians and nurse practitioners who will provide exceptional care to our historically disinvested patient population and eliminate disparities in health care access and outcomes.

AltaMed’s Family Medicine Residency Program

The Family Medicine Residency Program is a three year, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residency program that emphasizes outpatient care and community outreach, with equity as a unifying theme. Click here to learn more!

Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program (ANEW)

The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) Program aims to develop a diverse and culturally competent workforce that is prepared to address health disparities in their communities. AltaMed, is committed to improving the overall well-being of the medically underserved in Southern California. The program can fulfil required clinical hours for Nurse Practitioner’s (NP's) to complete as part of their practicum course.

(This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,142,856 with 21% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information , please visit HRSA.gov)

For more information, please contact anmanzo@altamed.org

Sports Medicine Fellowship

The Sports Medicine Fellowship is a one-year ACGME accredited fellowship for candidates who have successfully completed an accredited Residency program in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Pediatrics. The AltaMed Sports Medicine Fellowship is led by Program Director, Dr. Daniel Diaz, DO.

For more information, please contact SMfellowship@AltaMed.org

Community-Engaged Physician Fellowship

The Community Engaged Physician Fellowship is a one-year post-graduate clinical and leadership training program. The Fellowship is designed to train the next generation of health equity leaders committed to serving historically disinvested communities. The aim of the one-year fellowship is to prepare physicians for careers in FQHCs by providing training in patient care, leadership, scholarly activity, and community engagement. The Physician Fellows are licensed physicians in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Pediatrics who will have their own patient panel at an assigned clinic. In addition to patient care, the Physician Fellow will engage in leadership development and specialized training in primary care, community medicine and community engagement.

For more information, please contact: communityfellowship@altamed.org

A nurse carrying a patient in a wheelchair

Continued Nursing Education (CNE)

The AltaMed CNE team partners with academic institutions to provide nursing pathways for its employees.

Our mission is to empower nurses to continually enhance their skills and knowledge, recognizing and celebrating their invaluable contributions to health care.

RN to BSN Pathway

The RN to BSN Pathway, offered in partnership with the University of La Verne, empowers incumbent associate degree Level Registered Nurses to advance their education. This online program, spanning approximately nine-months, enables working individuals to pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing at their own pace while maintaining their current employment.

LVN to BSN Pathway

The LVN to BSN Pathway, offered in partnership with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing empowers incumbent Licensed Vocational Nurses to advance their education. This hybrid program, spanning 2.5 years, enables working individuals to pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing while maintaining their current employment.

Community Nurse Leader Program (CNLP)

The CNLP Program offers a full year long comprehensive experience, including clinical training, scholarly activities, professional development, clinical case studies, engaging speakers and workshops, and participation in a nursing conference.
- Summer Program: The six-week summer program totals approximately 200 hours and offers professional development, clinical case studies, and interactive sessions with engaging speakers and workshops. Sessions will be held both in-person at our AltaMed Health Services University Training Center and online, providing a hybrid learning experience.
- Fall and Spring Program: The Fall and Spring program involves longitudinal clinical training and scholarly activities, with a commitment of approximately eight hours per day, one day a week.

A young woman and her doctor discuss abortion.

Nurse Practitioner Fellowship

Mission: The mission of the AltaMed Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner Fellowship program is to recruit, train, and retain Family Nurse Practitioners who are committed to eliminating disparities in health care access and outcomes by providing superior health and human services for culturally diverse communities in Southern California.

The program aims to develop competent, compassionate, and culturally sensitive nurse practitioners who provide comprehensive care to individuals across the lifespan with an emphasis on preventive care, chronic disease management, and health promotion.

Program Overview:

One year of additional clinical training including

Didactic lectures
Conferences and workshops
Speciality rotations
Ramp-up patient schedule

Program Requirements:

Must be board certified or eligible to become board certified
Must provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States
Minimum one year of continued employment at AltaMed Health Services
Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
Have a strong interest in providing medical services to often-overlooked communities

Click here to apply for The AltaMed Nurse Practitioner Fellowship

The NP fellows gain the necessary skills to manage a patient panel under the supervision of an experienced provider from one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers in the United States.

For more information, please contact: NPfellowship@altamed.org

(This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,800,000 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.)

The AltaMed NP Fellowship program is in the process of accreditation through the Consortium for Advance Practice Providers. If you would like to provide public comment as part of our Accreditation Process, please visit the Accreditation Status and Public Comment Website here. ((link this to: https://www.apppostgradtraining.com/accreditation/commentary/)

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