Community and Stakeholder Partnerships

EMBRACE Community Component Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Maternal morbidity and mortality remain high in Allegheny County, PA, although many of these adverse events are preventable. One way to improve health during pregnancy is by expanding community-partnered and community-centered research, training, education, and engagement. The Community Component of the EMBRACE 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 community integration to the research lifecycle, utilizing specialized frameworks, approaches, and best practices for community-centered research. 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 improving maternal health in Allegheny County.