Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) has awarded its first three Health Equity Research Core (HERC) Community-Partnered Research Grants, advancing collaborations designed to address health and social priorities in partnership with community organizations.
Each one-year, $20,000 grant supports a research partnership between a KPSOM core research faculty member and a community organization. The grants are part of KPSOM’s strategic planning initiatives and represent an initial step in strengthening community-engaged health equity research. The three projects were selected through a competitive review process.
“As part of KPSOM’s commitment to advancing health equity, we are excited to support these inaugural community-partnered research projects,” said Paul Chung, MD, Chair of Health Systems Science and HERC Co-director. “Each grant reflects a shared commitment between faculty and community organizations to address important health and social challenges."
Lori Carter-Edwards, PhD, MPH, Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Government Affairs and HERC Co-director, added, "We look forward to the knowledge these partnerships will generate and the opportunities they create by translating research into meaningful benefits for the communities we serve.”
The projects selected for the inaugural HERC Community-Partnered Grants include the following:
Study Title: Strengthening Family Systems to Improve Substance Use Disorder Recovery Outcomes: A Community-Partnered Evaluation of Casa Treatment Center's Family Program
Isabel Chen, MD, MPH, Principal Investigator and KPSOM Associate Professor of Health Systems Science is partnering with Casa Treatment Center to evaluate and strengthen the organization’s Family Program. The Pasadena-based nonprofit has provided substance use disorder treatment for women since 1967 and serves approximately 350 women annually, many of whom are low-income and navigating mental health conditions. The project will examine how structured family engagement may influence treatment retention, relapse indicators, and family functioning. Researchers will also assess changes in family members’ understanding of addiction and recovery and identify opportunities to improve program delivery, cultural responsiveness, and accessibility.
Study Title: Evaluating the Reach and Delivery of Pediatric Medical-Dental Integration at AltaMed
Abraham Gallegos, MD, MS, Principal Investigator and KPSOM Assistant Professor of Health Systems Science, will lead a project evaluating the reach and delivery of pediatric medical-dental integration at AltaMed Health Services Corporation. Using electronic health record-linked utilization data from 2023 through 2025, the researchers will examine whether the availability of dental care at a patient’s primary medical site is associated with receiving dental services. Findings are intended to inform service delivery, Field Operations planning, and future expansion of pediatric dental services.
Study Title: KPSOM and Youth Mentoring Connection: Building an Equity-Focused Evidence Base for Youth Mentorship
Andrew (Drew) Walker, PhD, MS, Principal Investigator and KPSOM Assistant Professor of Health Systems Science, will lead a partnership with Youth Mentoring Connection (YMC), which has served more than 7,000 adolescents from under resourced communities across Los Angeles since 2001. The study will use participant records and assessment data to identify factors associated with deeper program engagement and examine how engagement relates to mental health, connectedness, and academic performance. YMC staff will serve as co-investigators throughout the research process. Findings will support the organization’s pursuit of a Tier 3 Promising Evidence designation under California’s Every Student Succeeds Act framework and build infrastructure for continued community-academic research.
