The Humana Institute focuses on underserved communities in the Greater Houston metropolitan area, particularly the Third Ward, East End, and Northwest Houston communities. It partners with community work groups to identify health priorities from the community’s perspective, develop the infrastructure needed to support community-based participatory research, and initiative collaborative projects that address local priorities.

Some identified priorities include food insecurity, social isolation and direct services to support healthy food access in the Third Ward. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, community member-initiated focus groups were established to understand the impact of COVID-19 on families in Houston’s Sunnyside, Old Spanish Trail and Third Ward areas.

Insight from our community engagement is combined with quantitative and qualitative data to inform continuous learning and the provision of health care services aligned with the needs and values of the local communities.