Developing and Operationalizing an Academic Health Department Partnership: A Collaboration Between UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and Dallas County Health and Human Services.

Abstract

Context: Academic Health Department (AHD) partnerships are increasingly recognized as a mechanism for strengthening public health education, workforce development, and applied research. While many schools of public health and local health departments have collaborated informally for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed both the value and limitations of these informal arrangements. In Texas, sustained pandemic response efforts required frequent, high-stakes coordination between academic institutions and local health authorities, underscoring the need for more intentional and structured academic-practice partnerships. Against this backdrop, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health (UTHSPH) and Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) sought to formalize a long-standing informal relationship through an AHD model.

Implementation: Beginning in early 2022, the partnership was operationalized through leadership engagement, the establishment of a Coordinating Committee, and the development of a thematic framework, guided by the literature, to identify collaborative activities. Five core activity domains were recognized: Planning for Change, Improving Practical Experiences, Nurturing Boundary Spanners, Fostering Joint Research, and Workforce Development. Each domain included defined activities, metrics, and anticipated outcomes to support structured implementation, documentation, and continuous improvement of AHD efforts.

Evaluation: The Coordinating Committee discusses progress on action items and goal attainment during regularly scheduled meetings and, annually, facilitates a formal discussion on the overall structure, compliance, and progress toward shared goals, as detailed in the MOU, to ensure minimal mission creep. Engagement and satisfaction data are also collected from collaborative events to inform success and areas of improvement.

Discussion: Establishing a partnership with a local health department has proven beneficial for both UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and DCHHS. Early outcomes suggest that formalizing the AHD relationship enhanced coordination, accountability, and strategic alignment between academic and practice partners. The steps pursued to develop this collaboration can serve as a guide for other organizations seeking similar relationships.