ABSTRACT
Abtract During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the United States were tasked to develop partnerships with other hospitals and community organizations to overcome the unexpected challenges. The aim of this study is to examine COVID-19 case-fatality rates and explore their relationship with hospital-community partnerships. This study employed a cross-sectional design using a multilevel generalized linear model with a Poisson regression distribution and publicly available COVID-19 mortality data from February to October 2020 across 2526 hospital service areas (HSAs). HSAs with a greater number of partnerships were found to have a reduced risk of higher case-fatality rates than those with fewer health system partnerships. The findings indicated the need for greater cooperation between individual health care systems, state and local governments, and community programs for better outcomes in the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and to be better prepared for future pandemics or large-scale public health crises. This study provides the necessary insights for policy makers, hospital administrators, and public health leaders to understand the critical importance of community partnerships and their influence on reducing the COVID-19 case-fatality rate, as well as their potential effects on improving the health of vulnerable populations as a means to achieve the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's goal of achieving health equity. This research illustrates the need for further inquiries into the importance of these health care partnerships for positive health care outcomes.