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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

William Livingood, PhD¹, Jeffrey Goldhagen, MD, MPH², William Little, MPH³, Jennifer Gornto, MPH¹, and Tao Hou, MPH⁴. (1) Institute for Health, Policy and Evaluation Research & Pediatrics Department, Duval County Health Department & Univ of Florida, 900 University Blvd, Suite 604, Jacksonville, FL 32211, 904 665 2330, William_Livingood@doh.state.fl.us, (2) Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, 653-1 W. Eigth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32209, (3) Sarasota County Health Department, Florida Department of Health, 2200 Ringling Bouleveard, Sarasota, FL 34237, (4) Duval County Health Department, 515 W. 6th Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206

Public health agency partnerships with academic institutions are receiving increased attention related to both workforce development and enhanced local public health system capacity. Reports of collaboration focus on a wide range of public health services, frequently reflecting the benefits as perceived by faculty from schools of public health, medicine or nursing. Relatively little is known about the perceptions of health agency leaders concerning the value of these partnerships to their organizations and to their contributions to the health and well-being of the communities they serve. A study by a local health department research institute in collaboration with the Florida Association of County Health Officials (FACHO) was conducted to identify, describe and define models of public health agency –academic institution partnerships in Florida, as perceived by the local agency directors. It involved a mixed methods research design using data collected from a survey of 67 county health department administrators and directors in Florida. Seventy-six percent (51) of the county health departments participated in the survey. The responding directors and administrators identified 50 different academic institutions as collaborating partners with formal agreements. The partnerships were perceived to enhance the local public health system's capacity. Findings lead to recommendations for a multi-tiered system for recognizing the partnerships and expansion of federal support for partnerships beyond existing approaches.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Recognize the potential for local health departments to establish partnerships with academic institutions
• Identify three types of levels of academic agency partnerships.

Keywords: Local Public Health Agencies, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered