Academic and Practice Partnerships to Advance Urban Public Health in the United States

Abstract Issue/Description Partnerships between academic institutions and public health practice are instrumental in addressing public health, particularly health in cities, but often difficult to achieve. Despite commitments to urban health, academic institutions often mired in research and teaching and lack grounding in PH practice, while public health organizations and local health departments are forced to focus on the day-to-day practice of public health and less able to invest time and human resources to longer-term public health solutions. Results In 2019, the Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH), through its Urban Health Collaborative (UHC), established a strategic partnership with the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), the forum for the leaders of America's largest metropolitan health departments who collectively serve one in 5 Americans. This partnership supports the Coalition's vision of healthy, more equitable cities through big city innovation and leadership. For the UHC, the partnership is an opportunity to advance its commitment to urban health research, training, and policy translation locally and globally. The UHC and BCHC have partnered on variety of projects funded by both the BCHC and their partnering organizations, providing a replicable framework for partnership between academia and public health practice. Projects include the Big Cities Data Inventory (BCHI), an equity focused cross-city data platform providing a baseline of health in urban communities, health-equity based program and policy evaluations, advocacy on key US public health policy issues, and a recent focus on cross-city climate work focused on data, research and practice. Lessons The UHC/BCHC partnership is a replicable model of collaboration between academia and public health practice, leveraging the expertise and lived experience of local health departments with the technical expertise of academia to improve public health. Key messages • Urban public health practice benefits from urban health research and policy frameworks. • Academic public health is strengthened by the real-world practice of public health.