Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) had a successful year in 2011, with notable accomplishments related to its mission of improving public health practice, education, and research. 2011 brought the development of new Strategic Directions for the Council on Linkages, which served to guide its activities this year and will continue to do so for coming years. The Council on Linkages received continued funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration to support work toward these goals and hired two full-time staff. Kathleen Amos became Council on Linkages Project Manager in July, and Aleta Hong joined as Project Assistant in October.
Since launching in January, the
Academic Health Department (AHD) Learning Community has grown to over 100 members. With the intent of connecting and supporting public health professionals interested in building, expanding, and sustaining successful AHDs, the AHD Learning Community has developed a
draft paper outlining the AHD concept, held four meetings, and facilitated introductions among public health practitioners, educators, and researchers across the country.
Recent profiles from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of County and City Health Officials indicate that over 60% of state health departments and close to 30% of local health departments are using the
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, emphasizing their importance in the development of a competent public health workforce.
As part of its commitment to workforce development and training, the Council on Linkages launched a
Public Health Training Impact initiative aimed at identifying strategies and resources for improving and measuring the impact of public health training and began rethinking the focus of its efforts related to the
recruitment and retention of public health professionals.
The Council on Linkages would like to thank everyone who has participated in its initiatives, working groups, or events this year. Without your hard work and dedication the successes of the Council on Linkages would not be possible.
Looking Ahead to 2012
After a great first year, the AHD Learning Community will continue creating a collaborative learning environment for public health professionals interested in building, sustaining, and expanding AHDs. Quarterly meetings are being planned, resources focused on AHD development and partnership agreements will be made available, and the Learning Community will expand its reach to primary care. To become involved in this growing community, contact Kathleen at
kamos@phf.org.
To aid public health professionals and organizations in using the Core Competencies, the
Core Competencies Workgroup is developing a Competencies to Practice Toolkit. This toolkit will include examples to clarify competencies, assessment and quality improvement tools, samples of competency-based job descriptions, and more. Tools and resources will be posted online as they become available. Share your own tools and examples of Core Competencies use by contacting Aleta at
ahong@phf.org.
The
Pipeline Workgroup will be putting the finishing touches on the final report of the 2010 Council on Linkages Public Health Workers Survey. Watch for the report early in the new year to provide support for your
recruitment and retention efforts.
In 2012, the
Training Impact Task Force (Task Force) will continue its efforts to improve and measure the
impact of public health training. This work aims to create a tool containing strategies and resources to aid public health professionals in developing effective training and evaluation, as well as a literature search and selective review. Both are expected to be completed by fall 2012. The Task Force’s
working document is currently available in draft form and feedback is welcome, either in the comments section of this resource webpage or directly to Kathleen at
kamos@phf.org.
There are a variety of ways to connect with the Council on Linkages and stay up-to-date with its activity. In addition to reading the Council on Linkages Update, visit the
Council on Linkages website, follow the Council on Linkages on Twitter at
@thephf, join a workgroup or the AHD Learning Community, or attend one of its meetings. The next
Council on Linkages meeting will be held by conference call on January 27th at 1 pm EST. For more information on any of these options, contact Aleta at
ahong@phf.org. The Council on Linkages is looking forward to working with you in 2012!