A critical component of a public health system in the community is the local health department (LHD). LHDs are established by their respective state government either as a product of state legislature or by executive authority granted to a particular state governmental agency, such as a state health department. In turn, they are governed by the respective state and local laws. As such, they cannot be considered separately from the state network in which they operate [6]. They exist for the common good and are responsible for providing leadership and services aimed at improving health and well-being, and preventing illness, disease, injury, premature death, and health disparities [7]. A number of different factors, such as the governance
structure, level of legal authority, infrastructure, functional capacity and resources of the LHD, all contribute to the range of services and levels of collaboration it may offer.
An understanding of the current baseline of working partnerships between a LHD and its nearby academic institution(s) may provide valuable insights into the education of our future public health workforce.