Academic Health Department
Our Center and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health began partnering in 2011. In 2013, we formally established the Academic Health Department; the first in Kansas and one of only a few in the country.
Pictured: KU Provost Neeli Bendapudi signs Academic Health Department MOU.
Benefits
The Academic Health Department is an academic-practice collaboration, which effectively pools assets of both institutions. The health department benefits from the knowledge and expertise that KU research provides; meanwhile, KU faculty and students are able to put their research into practice at the health department. The goal is to address the basic conditions that affect the health of the community:
- Access to health services
- Mental health
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Poverty
Responsibilities
The Academic Health Department’s work includes:
- Establishing a shared research agenda
- Increasing support for participatory research on health issues in Douglas County
- Connecting staff and students to meaningful learning and professional development opportunities
- Supporting the implementation and evaluation of Douglas County’s 1st community health plan, Roadmap to a Healthier Douglas County (PDF)
Christina Holt (left) and Ruaa Hassaballa (right), facilitating community planning as part of the community health improvement plan.
Illustrative Accomplishments
- Completed an assessment of barriers to active transport for older adults
- Supported the successful application to CDC resulting in a funded Partnerships in Community Health grant
- Completed a year-long project to better understand branding of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department with the KU School of Journalism
- Conducted a performance management project to improve accessibility of clinic services with the Applied Behavior Science Department at KU
- Conducted a comprehensive community health assessment, which was featured by the Institute of Medicine in its “Evaluating Obesity Prevention Efforts: A plan for measuring progress”