In response to feedback from members, the Academic Health Department (AHD) Learning Community is establishing a mentorship program dedicated to providing support and guidance related to AHD partnerships. Planning for this program began earlier this summer and got well underway with the Learning Community’s August 6th meeting, when members came together to discuss the purpose of the program, how it should be structured, and areas in which mentorship could be beneficial for those working on AHD partnerships.

 

The AHD Mentorship Program will focus on fostering the development, maintenance, and expansion of AHDs by building relationships between individuals involved in AHD efforts. Led by AHD Learning Community member Bryn Manzella, MPH, of the Jefferson County Department of Health in Alabama, this program will support mutual learning and the sharing of expertise, connecting individuals seeking guidance in an area of AHD development or operation with those having experience in that area.

 

Members of the AHD Learning Community have a wide variety of experiences working with AHD partnerships, and the mentorship program will draw on this expertise as volunteers are sought to serve as mentors. To facilitate matching of mentors to mentees, individuals interested in becoming mentors will be asked to indicate the areas in which they have experience and would be willing to provide guidance to others. A preliminary list of such areas has been drafted; this list is being revised based on input from Learning Community members and incorporated into a brief form to be completed by those who volunteer to be mentors.

 

Once the mentorship program is set up, information about mentors will be made available through the AHD Learning Community website, and those interested in being mentored will be able to look online to see the areas in which mentoring is available and then ask to be connected with a specific person or someone with experience in a particular area. Ms. Manzella and Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) staff will work together to pair mentors and mentees and provide support for both groups to help create successful relationships.