Our Vision

Equitable health, education, and economic opportunity for all in Connecticut.

Our Mission

Our mission is to advance systemic change by tackling root causes of health inequities and implementing sustainable solutions through interdisciplinary community-based participatory research partnerships, data-driven community action, and workforce development efforts with communities disproportionately impacted by inequities. 

Our Values

These values drive how we approach our work. We are committed to:

Inclusion & Collaboration

We establish diverse partnerships that allow us to learn from one another’s experiences and to develop a sense of belonging through collaborative efforts to advance equity.

Reciprocity

We acknowledge that power is always present in relationships and can be imbalance when societal norms favor particular groups and undervalue others. We commit to addressing and contesting imbalances in community partnerships by implementing and assessing mechanism for joint decision-making, co-learning, and equitable resource sharing to foster justice and effective collaborations.

Intentionality & Authenticity

We believe strong community partnerships are the key to transforming systems to work for everyone. Acknowledging the complexities of power dynamics in community-academic relationships, we pledge to approach each partnership with thoughtful and clear intentions, as well as critical self-reflection. We invest the time necessary to build trusting relationships. While we anticipate learning curves, we will recognize our mistakes, learn from them, and continuously strive to do better. 

Integrity & Honesty

We commit to being transparent and honest about our goals, intentions, and limitations; we do what we say we are going to do. We uphold the principles of community-based participatory research in all our partnerships.

Sustainability & Scalability

We generate lasting solutions and find ways to translate what we learn across multiple practice sectors to benefit the greatest number of communities, organizations, families, and individuals. 

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

Connecticut General Statutes Sections 10a-109b (2011): The UConn Health Center and John Dempsey Hospital are to advance health care, education, and economic development in the state by supporting the development of a health disparities institute sponsored by the University of Connecticut that will enhance research and the delivery of care to minority and medically underserved populations of the state.