Summary
A new federal women's health initiative calls for greater collaboration among patient advocates, community organizations and the private sector. Experts at JPA Health share why successful public-private partnerships require shared purpose, experienced leadership and a commitment to making a meaningful difference in patients' lives.
Women's health made national headlines with the October 19 announcement of a new White House Women's Health Task Force and a dedicated Women's Health Division at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Our team was particularly interested in one aspect of the executive order: the call for collaboration with community organizations and the private sector to help translate research into practice.
Having spent years building healthcare partnerships and coalitions, we can tell you that collaboration is a mystical, magical thing.
It takes shared purpose and a deep commitment to accomplish something hard. And even then, it sometimes fails.
People are stretched thin. Priorities compete. Expectations differ. Even defining success can be difficult.
But when collaboration works, the impact can be extraordinary.
What Makes Healthcare Partnerships Work?
The best partnerships improve patients' lives, spur innovation and empower others to become forces for good. They accomplish things no single organization could achieve alone.
Of course, that requires the right people at the table.
Established nonprofits and patient advocacy groups (PAGs) have spent decades learning how to build effective coalitions and maintain trust among partners with different interests.
They understand the communities they serve, the challenges patients face and the practical realities of bringing organizations together around a common goal.
Private-sector companies have an important role, too. For some, collaborating at the federal level may be unfamiliar territory. They may be unsure where they fit or how to contribute.
This is where experienced advocacy leaders can be invaluable. They know how to bring different interests together around a shared purpose and turn good intentions into meaningful work.
Turning Collaboration Into Action
For companies interested in advancing women's health, we see a real opportunity to learn from that experience and contribute their own expertise and resources.
Successful partnerships require clarity about what each organization can offer, how decisions will be made and what the group is collectively trying to accomplish. They also require respect for the independence and priorities of every partner.
At JPA Health, we've seen the value of this approach through our work in patient advocacy and engagement, where we help organizations build partnerships around shared health objectives.
One example is No One Missed, a community-led lung cancer initiative developed with LUNGevity Foundation and supported by industry, advocacy and professional society partners. Although separate from federal collaboration, it demonstrates how a shared purpose can bring organizations together to address a significant patient need.
The opportunity in women's health is considerable, and the experience to build on already exists.
Companies can help make something happen, or sit back and wonder what happened.
The success of this initiative will depend on how well we work together.
Let's work together
Building an effective healthcare coalition takes experience, commitment and the right partners.
JPA Health works with life sciences companies, nonprofits and public health organizations to develop advocacy strategies, build coalitions and turn shared objectives into meaningful programs.
Interested in building a partnership that makes a difference? Connect with JPA Health to discuss your advocacy or coalition-building goals.