Strengthening health services in San Diego during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond through the Academic Health Partnership.
In a groundbreaking move, the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) and San Diego State University (SDSU) have formalised a 5-year partnership, establishing San Diego County's first and only Academic Health and Human Services Department - the Live Well Center for Innovation & Leadership (LWCIL).
The LWCIL, a first-of-its-kind initiative in San Diego County, aims to strengthen education, research, workforce development, and service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this partnership proved invaluable, as HHSA and SDSU collaborated on various initiatives to support the community.
One such initiative was the recruitment, training, and community outreach for a Promotoras program. This program helped with contact tracing, identifying needs, and vaccine appointments in high-risk communities. Additionally, SDSU and HHSA worked together to train and deploy nursing faculty, students, and recent graduates in county vaccination efforts, providing surge capacity staffing and allowing students to complete clinical hours required for graduation.
From January through March of 2021, the SDSU School of Nursing partnered with Champions for Health to train 200 vaccinators, who administered vaccines at community sites in primarily underserved areas of the county.
As the COVID-19 response scaled back, many students and graduates who served as temporary contact tracers and case investigators transitioned into full-time positions within HHSA. This transition marked a significant step in the development and expansion of the AHD partnership.
The partnership adopted a joint, multi-year Strategic Roadmap with four high-impact priority areas: People Success, Research & Data Excellence, Service to Community, and Leadership & Sustainability. Subcommittees for each priority area have launched and created action plans tied to advancing the Strategic Roadmap.
The director of LWCIL is a 'boundary spanning' position, co-funded by SDSU and HHSA. Additional staff support has been provided, including two HHSA Management Fellows engaged in a year-long program.
The foundation for increased and accelerated collaboration is in place, with the partnership's foundation set to be fully established by summer 2025. An addendum supporting agency-wide student field experiences is also underway.
Many leaders at HHSA began their careers at SDSU, with a significant portion of its workforce having graduated from SDSU. This strong connection between the two entities has been instrumental in the success of the AHD partnership.
HHSA serves over 3.3 million residents with a workforce of over 8,200 employees. The LWCIL is poised to continue strengthening this service, with the potential for significant positive impact on the community.
As the partnership continues to grow and evolve, it serves as a model for other academic and government entities seeking to collaborate and make a difference in their communities.
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