Academic and Community MCH Partnerships:

Academic Perspective

Karen A McDonnell, PhD

Academic and Community MCH Partnerships

• What is an Academic and Community MCH partnership?

• What does this partnership look like?• What assets do each party bring to the partnership?• What are the expectations for the partnership?

Academic Perspective

• Academic programs need productive and mutually beneficial relationships with the MCH community.

• Our students need ‘real world’ training– role playing for future career as MCH professionals

What an academic program brings to the partnership

• Future MCH public health professionals– Eager– Fresh perspective– Want to do ground work; learn the ropes– Productive– On top of latest research and methods– Skill development

What an academic program brings to the partnership

• Academic mentors

• Institutional Review Board

• Testing a future employee

• Sense of fulfillment in shaping future of MCH

Public Health Students

• Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)– Accreditation Criteria of Schools of Public Health

2.4 Practicum:

All professional degree students must develop skills in basic public health concepts and demonstrate the application of these concepts through a field experience that is relevant to the students’ area of specialization.

What is a practicum?

A planned, supervised, and evaluated experience is an essential component of a public health professional degree program.

Goal: provide an opportunity for students to apply practical skills and to gain professional experience

Community Partners

• Has a public health mission or department with such a mission

• Addresses significant public health problems

• Offers students the opportunity to engage with experienced public health professionals (site preceptor)

Types of Activities

• Data analysis• Grant application

preparation• Health education• Health promotion• Needs assessment• Policy analysis

• Program evaluation• Program implementation• Program planning• Risk assessment• Study design• Design of study instrument• Surveillance

How to develop academic community MCH partnership: GW Experience

1. Initial contact: Practicum Director (or MCH director)

2. Complete Program needs assessment form

3. Maintain communication about needs

4. MCH educational program changes to fit the needs of our MCH populations and programs

GWU Example of an MCH Academic Community Partnership

• MCH Program: Schools, hospital based program• Activity: Evaluation of a county wide school based

program to increase children’s activity levels, healthy food consumption and knowledge

• During internship: building skills in data collection, survey development, interviewing

GWU Example of an MCH Academic Community Partnership

• After internship: building skills in data analysis, presentation, synthesis

• Final chapter: Saving the program, saving jobs.

Final thoughts

• Academic programs / community programs: WE NEED YOU!

• Academic programs have a lot to offer MCH programs

• Partnerships will serve to enhance the future of MCH public health

Questions?