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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Candace Jones, MPH, RD, Assistant MCH Bureau Director, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, Mills/Jarrett Complex--Box 101106, Columbia, SC 29211, 803-8980344, jonesca@dhec.sc.gov and Robert E. McKeown, PhD, Associate Dean of Research, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208.

An important activity in creating and sustaining an academic health department is the development of a joint research agenda between the public health academic and practice partners. To accomplish this task, the SC Public Health Consortium established a Research Workgroup comprised of key personnel from both entities and led by the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and the Associate Dean of Research for the Arnold School of Public Health. This Workgroup set out to match research interests and expertise with strategic goals of both agencies. In addition, the Workgroup was challenged in developing a joint agenda that would facilitate ongoing collaboration while meeting the funding and incentive needs of both partners. To accomplish these challenging goals, the Research Workgroup had to first accomplish many supporting activities, including developing a common database of faculty and staff interests and expertise; identifying the available databases within both the school of public health and the health department and access protocols for all identified databases; and research priorities for both partners as described in their individual strategic plans. In developing the implementation plan for the joint research agenda, the Consortium was met with conflicting IRB processes and procurement procedures as well as being challenged by two incentive systems. Many factors facilitated the development of the agenda, including support from key leaders, changes in funding, and the support of other collaborative efforts.

Learning Objectives: