Strengthening Public Health in Georgia: Academic-Practice Partnerships for a Healthier Future
Abstract
Despite the wealth of public health and healthcare expertise in Georgia, a strong Georgia Department of Public Health, and strong schools of public health in Georgia, we face many health and healthcare challenges. We consistently rank among the worst states for premature deaths, high risk behaviors, and low birthweight births. We struggle with obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health, among other challenges. Income disparities, along with other social determinants of health, complicate the delivery of health services and the promotion of healthy behaviors. Our state ranks 45th in the nation for health system performance, driven by challenges in access and affordability (48th), reproductive and women’s health (45th), prevention and treatment (44th) and income disparities (46th).
At the same time, our public health workforce is shrinking. Budget cuts, economic recessions and the recent pandemic have all contributed to significant losses. Evidence suggests that our workforce has shrunk by as much as 20% in the past four years, with losses felt most acutely in state and local public health agencies.
Academic-practice partnerships in public health are an important tool for equipping and expanding our state’s public health workforce, as well as promoting and implementing evidence-based programs and policies throughout our state. In this session, leaders from Georgia’s schools and programs of public health will come together to discuss what their institutions are doing to train Georgia’s next generation of public health professionals, highlight existing practice partnerships in Georgia, and examine future opportunities for academic-practice engagement.
Keywords
academic-practice partnerships; schools and programs of public health
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Strengthening Public Health in Georgia: Academic-Practice Partnerships for a Healthier Future
Despite the wealth of public health and healthcare expertise in Georgia, a strong Georgia Department of Public Health, and strong schools of public health in Georgia, we face many health and healthcare challenges. We consistently rank among the worst states for premature deaths, high risk behaviors, and low birthweight births. We struggle with obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mental health, among other challenges. Income disparities, along with other social determinants of health, complicate the delivery of health services and the promotion of healthy behaviors. Our state ranks 45th in the nation for health system performance, driven by challenges in access and affordability (48th), reproductive and women’s health (45th), prevention and treatment (44th) and income disparities (46th).
At the same time, our public health workforce is shrinking. Budget cuts, economic recessions and the recent pandemic have all contributed to significant losses. Evidence suggests that our workforce has shrunk by as much as 20% in the past four years, with losses felt most acutely in state and local public health agencies.
Academic-practice partnerships in public health are an important tool for equipping and expanding our state’s public health workforce, as well as promoting and implementing evidence-based programs and policies throughout our state. In this session, leaders from Georgia’s schools and programs of public health will come together to discuss what their institutions are doing to train Georgia’s next generation of public health professionals, highlight existing practice partnerships in Georgia, and examine future opportunities for academic-practice engagement.
