The Integrated Health Network (IHN) and its member organizations are committed to promoting affordable, accessible, quality healthcare in the region through comprehensive patient‐centered collaboration. Opportunities for partnership between IHN community health centers and academic institutions are increasing as funding opportunities require demonstrated collaboration with existing networks of community partners.

These partnerships have the potential to encourage an evidence‐based, regional approach to local health care delivery.

Proposals requesting IHN (network‐wide) collaboration, participation, support and/or approval
must:

• Share the purpose of the IHN mission and programming
• Have a strong potential for measurable and sustainable benefits to
  • The patients of the St. Louis safety network, and/or
  • The structure and function of the St. Louis safety network
• Not place undue burden on patients or community health centers
• Include financial support to the IHN, if IHN management, staffing time, or other resources are
  being requested to support and/or sustain the partnership;
• Include financial support to community health centers including staffing or other resources that
  are required to support and/or sustain the partnership; and
• Maintain ongoing and open communication including sharing the end results of the project with
  health center and patient participants.

The term “network‐wide” refers to collaboration with four (4) or more IHN member organizations (see FAQ for IHN member organizations). The IHN will consider opportunities to collaborate with academic partners on projects that reflect the mission and programming of the network. Projects with a direct positive impact on patients in the St. Louis safety net will be given priority.

Initial Communication: The IHN will require a Written Request for Partnership (WRP) that includes:

• Description of the proposed project
• Detailed description of the role of IHN
• Proposed budget range

See WRP Form

Clinical Review Committee: This committee is convened as needed to review worthy academic partnership proposals. Reviewed proposals may be developed for submission upon the approval of the IHN Board of Directors.

• Dr. Melissa Tepe, Affinia Healthcare
• Christopher Dennis, BJK People’s Heaalth Centers
• Dr. Jade James, CareSTL Health
• Dr. Caroline Day and Lynn Kerting, Family Care Health Centers
• Kate Donaldson, St. Louis County Department of Public Health
• Carissa van den Berk-Clark, Saint Louis University
• Dr. Vetta Sanders Thompson, Washington University in St. Louis
• Sam Joseph, Missouri Primary Care Association
• Angela Brown and Emily Vandas, St. Louis Regional Health Commission

Board Review:
IHN Board will approve or decline moving forward with the academic partnership.

Timing: Engagement with any community partners should begin well before any proposal is submitted in order to maximally align priorities with community needs, increase potential sustainability and capacity for sustained impact, and foster trust between partners. When submitting proposals for which you would like IHN collaboration, participation, support and/or approval it is important to allow ample time. Investigators are encouraged to allow for a minimum of one (1) month of academic‐community partner collaboration engagement between the WRP approval notification and the funding submission due date (or letter of intent due date if one is required and contingent for full proposal submission). The IHN will provide notification following WRP review as soon as possible (e.g. about 2 weeks). At the discretion of the IHN, the Clinical Review Committee may request a status update and to read final versions (or close to final versions) of the grant text before the grant application is submitted. The Committee will expect to be sent the final version of the grant application once submitted. Special funding announcements with short timeframes between announcement and submission will be handled on a case‐by‐case basis.