Exploring Organizational Purpose,Functions,and Structures: A Case Study of a Community Health Foundation as Community Partner
Open Access
- Author:
- Sarcone, David Mark
- Graduate Program:
- Public Administration
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 28, 2008
- Committee Members:
- James Truman Ziegenfuss Jr., Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Cynthia Z M Mara, Committee Member
Robert F. Munzenrider, Committee Member
Melvin Blumberg, Committee Member - Keywords:
- community health improvement
effectiveness
network organization
community foundation
community health partnership - Abstract:
- This study explored the role of a community health foundation in its efforts to improve the health status of the communities its serves. This exploratory study of the Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation (CAHWF) offered two related opportunities to add to the existing body of knowledge on community health reform and more closely to the literatures on community foundation and community partnership theory and practice. These opportunities involved investigating the role of a community health foundation as community leader for change and within the community leadership role the responsibilities of a community health foundation as a coalition builder. To exploit these opportunities, the study initially asked how the foundation interacted with community stakeholders in pursuing the goal of improved community health status and followed this with a second question focused on how the foundation was effective in achieving this goal. A single case study research design was used to complete the study. Data for the study came from six sources: key network stakeholders including CAHWF board members, CAHWF administrative staff, service providers, and community representatives; CAHWF source documents; and, CAHWF secondary data. Data was collected in four ways by completing focused interviews of key informants; completing focus group sessions; reviewing source documents; and, reviewing secondary data. The research revealed a dense and intricate organization that served the community as a convener, administrator, facilitator, advisor, and grant maker in order to advance the cause of improved community health. For research purposes this variety of responsibilities was reduced to three groupings – community organizer, community resource, and community advocate. In its first five years of operation, CAHWF predominantly served in the capacities of community organizer and community resource. Community stakeholders perceived CAHWF’s efforts during its first five year of operation in the two capacities as effective in advancing the status of the community’s health. The value of the research results from the conceptualization of the community foundation as a blended organization consisting of community partnership and foundation characteristics and the identification of five intermediate effectiveness measures (networking, collaborative planning, capacity building, disciplined funding decisions, and increased health and health related services) associated with this organizational model defined by the researcher as an “Engaged Community Health Foundation”. As a contribution, this single case study may provide a model of best practices that could be replicated by other health foundations seeking to serve in a collaborative community leadership role. Second, the research may serve as the basis for developing a way to differentiate types of community foundations operating within the health policy arena in order to begin a more systematic evaluation of these organizations and their impact on community health and health system reform. Further research is needed to determine the role of community health foundations as community partners for health improvement.