title: Academic health departments as training sites for future public health leaders: a partnership model in Wisconsin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2004, 2 Wisconsin academic health departments partnered with the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison to strengthen the public health workforce through a service-learning program that prepares the next generation of leaders while addressing local public health needs. The Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship annually provides 4 to 6 master's or doctorally trained fellows with 2-year service-learning placements in health departments and community-based organizations.
  Placement communities benefit from fellows' contributions to a broad range of public health issues, including chronic and communicable disease prevention, health equity, community practice, and policy and systems change. Academic health departments and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health enjoy additional program benefits, along with the advantages that accrue to the fellows themselves. For the academic health departments, this includes increased organizational capacity, generation of resources for public health, and a stronger and more diverse public health workforce.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The success of the partnership depends upon shared decision making and management, written agreements to clarify partner expectations, shared financial and in-kind contributions, and collaboration on program evaluation and dissemination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By building upon their respective organizational strengths, Wisconsin's academic health departments and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health have developed a successful model for transforming talented, highly motivated young professionals into confident, emerging public health leaders with the cutting-edge skills and connections necessary to improve population health outcomes and advance health equity.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health (Ms Ceraso and Drs Swain, Vergeront, Oliver, and Remington); City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Dr Swain); and Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Madison (Dr Vergeront).
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceraso
authors.forename: Geoffrey R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vergeront
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Remington
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D040381:Education, Public Health Professional / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000458:organization & administration; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000193:education*; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012581:Schools, Public Health / Q000458:organization & administration; D013219:State Government; D014922:Wisconsin; D000078329:Workforce