Academic health department learning community: Supporting collaboration in public health

Academic health department (AHD) partnerships, formed by the formal affiliation of health departments and academic health professions institutions, offer a significant opportunity for linking public health education and practice and ensuring an effective public health workforce. The AHD arrangement may be viewed as the public health equivalent of the “teaching hospital” affiliation prevalent within medical education; among other roles, AHDs can serve as training sites for students of public health and other health disciplines, and education may be enhanced through student interaction with health department staff and involvement in practice-based research and the delivery of public health services.

To further the adoption of the AHD model, the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice established the AHD Learning Community in January 2011. This national community connects educators, researchers, and practitioners to engage in collaborative learning and resource development to support the creation, maintenance, and expansion of AHDs. Community members are able to build relationships; explore current issues in collaborative education and training, research, and service; share their experiences; learn from the experiences of others; and identify ways to apply new knowledge in practice.

This session will provide public health professionals with an introduction to the AHD Learning Community. Basic elements of the AHD model and examples of AHD activities will be described, and resources and activities of the AHD Learning Community will be highlighted. Participants will be offered the opportunity to join in this community for continued learning far beyond the conference session.