Despite serving diverse communities in need, many safety-net hospitals set their own care delivery standards and research priorities with no direct buy-in from those very communities. However, as many healthcare systems look to achieve greater health equity, that paradigm is shifting.

Through interviews with safety-net health system leaders, practical community partnership strategies emerge that can help provider networks be more accountable. Five considerations are identified as being key to shifting the balance of power toward the community:

• Secure buy in from leadership
• Include provider workforce in community partnership activities and organizational DEI activities
• Consistently invite community feedback
• Explore new styles of governance
• Support the local economy through supply chain contracts