Public Health Innovations Catalog

As we work to reinforce and rebuild the public health workforce, now is the time to strengthen connections within the public health system. Partnerships between health departments and academic institutions – academic health department (AHD) partnerships – have long helped to bridge the gap between public health practice and academic public health and have played a critical role as the nation responds to COVID-19. AHD partnerships have been instrumental in developing guidance for COVID-19 response; conducting contact tracing, testing, and vaccination; and engaging in communications, and these partnerships will continue to be critical into the future. Among other benefits, AHD partnerships help prepare students for careers in health departments, create a pipeline into governmental public health, support recruitment and retention, enhance continuing education, encourage research that is relevant to the local community, and expand organizational capacity.​​

This archived webinar explores how AHD partnerships have enhanced the COVID-19 response in communities across the country and how partnerships can strengthen health departments as we envision and build the public health workforce of the future. Speakers shared their experiences with these partnerships and thoughts on where we go from here and engaged in questions and discussion. 

Webinar Held: 2/28/2022