The Public Health Institute of Western MA (PHIWM)  is partnering with Baystate Medical Center’s Institute for Healthcare Delivery and Population Science (BMC IHDPS) to build capacity for community-engaged research through Project ACCCES: A Collaboration to Develop Capacity to Conduct Community-Engaged Research in Springfield.

Project ACCCES focuses on building equitable community-academic research partnerships that leverage the expertise of researchers and the lived experience of community stakeholders to address health inequities in Springfield. Project ACCCES was initiated by PHIWM, BMC and the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services through funding from the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute. Workshops were held in September and October of 2016 and centered on building community-academic research partnerships in Springfield. PHIWM and  BMC IHDPS have continued to convene research partnerships focused on maternal and child health, youth mental health and substance use, and chronic disease.

Meet the Team 

  • Sarah Goff, Project Leader
  • Kathleen Szegda, Project Leader
  • Bettye Anderson Frederic, Project Leader
  • Haley Guhn-Knight, Project Coordinator

Maternal-Child Health Research Partnership

The maternal-child health research partnership is a group of community-based organization representatives, health care providers, and researchers/academics committed to increasing equity in maternal-child health outcomes in Springfield using a community-engaged research approach.

Areas of focus for this partnership include:

  • perinatal and reproductive health
  • perinatal mental health
  • adolescent pregnancy and parenting
  • early childhood health and well-being
  • school readiness

Advisory Board

The Project ACCCES Advisory Board members include:

  • Dr. Andrew Balder, Baystate Medical Center
  • Dr. Cesarina Thompson, American International College
  • Dr. Chrystal Whittcopp, Baystate Medical Center 
  • Ms. Cristina Huebner Torres, Caring Health Center
  • Dr. Frank Robinson, Baystate Medical Center
  • Mr. Henry East Trou, Gandara Center 
  • Ms. Maria Navarro, Baystate Medical Center 
  • Dr. Peter Lindenauer, Baystate Medical Center
  • Mr. Ronn Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services 
  • Ms. Synthia Scott-Mitchell, Springfield Partners for Community Action 
  • Ms. Vanessa Martinez, Holyoke Community College 

Resources