Context: Emerging evidence is surfacing on the powers of patient activation within communities and improving clinical health outcomes. Health literacy is embedded in patient activation. Patient partners in health research is an approach to bolster understanding of medical issues and facilitate greater two-way dialogue. Objective: To describe the integration of a family physician into a participatory research team. Study design: Community based participatory research model. Setting or Dataset: Buffalo, NY Population studied: Patient Voices Network at the University at Buffalo is comprised of residents of under served communities in Buffalo, NY who are patients of safety-net practices. Their vision is “a community of educated and involved patients working hand in hand with physicians in making decisions about their own health care.” Intervention/instrument (for interventional studies): Regularly scheduled meetings facilitated by group leaders listening to concerns regarding cancer within their community culminating in engagement detailing of local health care outlets and community organizations. Outcome measures: PVN comfort level with discussing and implementing cancer prevention strategies. Results: It was clear that there were challenges interpreting physician relayed information. Conversations demonstrated a need to break down commonly used medical jargon to ensure discussion of the same topics. There was a genuine curiosity and interest on the part of patients to understand more about their health. Patients demonstrated a sense of appreciation for providers and their ability to connect with them on a personal level accompanied by an element of earned trust. Conclusion: Patient activation and engagement can help drive culture change for health literacy in communities and primary care practices.