An
academic health department (AHD) partnership is formed by the formal affiliation of a health department and an academic institution that trains future health professionals. This relationship is sometimes described as the public health equivalent of the “teaching hospital” affiliation found between hospitals and medical schools. AHD partnerships can enhance public health education and training, research, and service and may offer a variety of benefits, both for the organizations involved and for the community as a whole.
AHD partnerships help to strengthen the links between public health practice and academia and to lessen the separation between the education of public health professionals and the practice of public health. AHDs can serve as sites for joint education, research, and practice, enabling the practice and academic communities to work together to develop the current and future public health workforce, build the evidence base for public health, and better deliver the Essential Public Health Services.
AHD Partnerships in the United StatesAHD partnerships are present in communities across the United States, and existing AHDs can serve as models for other organizations working to create such partnerships. The
AHD Learning Community has compiled the preliminary list of AHDs provided below as a starting point for exploring how AHDs are developing nationwide. This list will be updated as new AHDs are established or discovered, and additions or modifications to the list are welcome by email to Kathleen Amos at
[email protected].
Alabama
- Jefferson County Department of Health & Lawson State Community College
- Jefferson County Department of Health & Oakwood College
- Jefferson County Department of Health & Samford University
- Jefferson County Department of Health & Stanford University
- Jefferson County Department of Health & University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Jefferson County Department of Health & University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
- Jefferson County Department of Health & Wallace State Community College
Arizona
- Cochise Health and Social Services & University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
- Maricopa County Department of Public Health* & Arizona State University
- Pima County Health Department* & University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
- Pinal County Public Health Services District & University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
- Yuma County Public Health Services District & University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Arkansas
- Arkansas Department of Health* & University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
California
Colorado
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment* & Colorado School of Public Health
Florida
- Florida Department of Health in Leon County*, Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, and Florida State University
- Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County* & Florida International University
- Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County* & Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County* & Florida State University
- Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County* & University of South Florida
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & AdventHealth University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & American Sentinel University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Ana G. Mendez University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Capella University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Chamberlain University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & ECPI University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Florida Southern College
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Florida State University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Grand Canyon University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Herzing University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Loyola University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Nova Southeastern University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Rasmussen University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & Simmons University
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & South University of Florida
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & University of Central Florida
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & University of Florida Pediatric Residency Program at Orlando Health
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & University of Phoenix
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & University of South Florida
- Florida Department of Health in Seminole County* & University of West Florida
Georgia
- DeKalb County Board of Health & Mercer University
- North Central Health District* & Mercer University
Illinois
- Chicago Department of Public Health*, Peoria County Health Department*, Illinois Department of Public Health*, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago, & University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
- Chicago Department of Public Health* & RUSH University Medical Center
- Chicago Department of Public Health* & University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
Indiana
- Dubois County Health Department & Indiana University School of Public Health - Bloomington
- Marion County Public Health Department & Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University at Indianapolis
- Monroe County Health Department & Indiana University School of Public Health - Bloomington
Kansas
- Johnson County Department of Health & Environment*, University of Kansas, & University of Kansas Medical Center
- Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department*, University of Kansas, & University of Kansas Medical Center
- Wyandotte County Public Health Department, Unified Government of Kansas City, & University of Kansas Medical Center
Kentucky
- Barren River District Health Department* & Western Kentucky University’s Department of Public Health
- Green River District Health Department* & University of Kentucky
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & Eastern Kentucky University
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & Kentucky State University
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & Murray State University
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & Northern Kentucky University
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & Simmons College of Kentucky
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & University of Kentucky
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & University of Louisville
- Kentucky Department for Public Health* & Western Kentucky University
- Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness* & University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences
- Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department* & University of Kentucky
- Three Rivers District Health Department* & University of Kentucky
Massachusetts
- City of Worcester Division of Public Health*, Clark University, Worcester State University, UMass Medical School, and UMass Memorial Medical Center
- Massachusetts Academic Health Department Consortium – Massachusetts Department of Public Health*, Boston University School of Public Health, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Northern Essex Community College, Regis College, Simmons University, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Michigan
- Genesee County Health Department & Michigan State University
- Ingham County Health Department* & Michigan State University
- Washtenaw County Health Department & University of Michigan School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice
Missouri
- St. Louis City Health Department*, St. Louis County Health Department*, & Saint Louis University
Montana
- Missoula City-County Health Department* & University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences
Nebraska
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services* & University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health
- Winnebago Public Health Department & Briar Cliff University
- Winnebago Public Health Department & Creighton University
- Winnebago Public Health Department & Little Priest Tribal College
- Winnebago Public Health Department & Morningside College
- Winnebago Public Health Department & University of Nebraska – Lincoln
- Winnebago Public Health Department & University of Nebraska – Omaha Medical Center
- Winnebago Public Health Department & University of South Dakota – Sioux Falls
Nevada
- Northern Nevada Public Health* & University of Nevada, Reno
- Southern Nevada Health District & Touro University Nevada
- Southern Nevada Health District & University of Nevada, Las Vegas
New York
- Monroe County Department of Public Health & University of Rochester
- New York State Department of Health* & University of Albany-SUNY
North Carolina
- Granville Vance Public Health & University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health
- Mecklenburg County Health Department & University of North Carolina at Charlotte, College of Health and Human Services
- New Hanover County Health Department & University of North Carolina Wilmington School of Nursing
Ohio
- City of Canton Health Department* & Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Columbus Public Health* & Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions
- Columbus Public Health* & The Ohio State University College of Public Health
- Mahoning County Health District* & Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Kent City Health Department & Kent State University
- Portage County Health District* & Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Stark County Health District* & Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Summit County Health District* & Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Toledo-Lucas County Health Department* & University of Toledo Medical Center - Bowling Green State University
- Williams County Health Department* & Bowling Green State University
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State Department of Health* & University of Oklahoma
- Tulsa City-County Health Department* & University of Oklahoma
Oregon
- Benton County Public Health*, Lane County Public Health*, Lincoln County Public Health*, Linn County Public Health* & Oregon State University College of Public Health and Human Sciences
- Clackamas County Public Health Department* & Oregon State University
Pennsylvania
- Erie County Department of Health* & Mercyhurst College
- Pennsylvania Department of Health* & University of Pittsburgh
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Department of Health* & Brown University School of Public Health
- Rhode Island Department of Health* & Community College of Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Department of Health* & Johnson & Wales University
- Rhode Island Department of Health* & Rhode Island College
- Rhode Island Department of Health* & Roger Williams University
- Rhode Island Department of Health* & University of Rhode Island
South Carolina
- South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control* & University of South Carolina
Tennessee
- UT-Knox County Academic Health Department – Knox County Health Department* & University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- Sullivan County Regional Health Department & East Tennessee State University
- Tennessee Department of Health – East Regional Health Office & University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- Tennessee Department of Health – Northeast Regional Health Office & East Tennessee State University
- Tennessee Department of Health – West Tennessee Regional Health Office & University of Memphis
Texas
- Dallas County Health and Human Services & UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
- Fort Bend County Health and Human Services & UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
- Laredo Public Health Department & University of Texas
- Laredo Public Health Department & Texas A&M
- Laredo Public Health Department & Laredo College
- Laredo Public Health Departmen& Baylor University
- Laredo Public Health Department & University of North Texas
- Texas Department of State Health Services & UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
Utah
- Utah County Health Department & Brigham Young University
- Utah County Health Department & Utah Valley University
Virginia
Washington
- Public Health-Seattle and King County & University of Washington
West Virginia
- Grafton-Taylor County Health Department & Fairmont State University
- Grafton-Taylor County Health Department & Pierpont Community and Technical College
- Grafton-Taylor County Health Department & Salem University
- Grafton-Taylor County Health Department & West Virginia Junior College
- Grafton-Taylor County Health Department & West Virginia University School of Nursing
- Monongalia County Health Department & West Virginia University School of Public Health
Wisconsin
- City of Milwaukee Health Department & University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health* & University of Wisconsin-Madison, Population Health Institute
- Wood County Health Department* & University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Marshfield Campus
* Health department accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board