The Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion (Center) formerly known as the Southwest Center for Community Health Promotion, activities are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Prevention Research Center Program and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Arizona Department of Health Services, University of California's Program de Investigacíon en Migracion y Salud (PIMSA), Campesinos sin Fronteras, Mariposa Community Health Center, and private donations. 

The activities of the Center are planned collaboratively between University of Arizona faculty and staff and our Community Action Board (CAB).  The CAB is composed of organizations and programs that share a common agenda of improving the quality of life in the border region. The group addresses public policy, programmatic, and research issues. Additional Community input is solicited from Special Action Groups in various border communities. These community coalitons promote policy change at the local level, the Center promotes the development and implementation of public policies that increase healthy lifestyles in our border communities.

Our research is conducted within the framework of the PRC national and local logic models and within a conceptual framework of behavioral and environmental change (including the “change agents change” approach and the fostering of community capacity-social capital). With engagement of the community and community health workers (CHWs), our intervention research conducts and evaluates the benefits of classes, home visits, and walking clubs within the community. The program focuses on making changes in physical activity and diet in patients, their families, and in community groups, and in making environmental and policy changes targeting these behaviors.

The philosophy of the Center is that improving health outcomes requires a collaborative partnership between universities and communities. Communities must be heavily involved in identifying and solving their health related problems, or we will never develop long-term solutions.