In an effort to expand the role of LHDs in advancing the meaningful education of students preparing to enter the public health workforce, an evolving concept of the ‘‘academic health department’’ has emerged through efforts of the Council on Linkages between Academia and Public
Health Practice. This effort has produced a growing, yet relatively small, number of more formal organizational affiliations between local (and some state) health departments and academic institutions in about a dozen states [5, 23]. We encourage this initiative to be examined more
closely by local health departments wishing to establish or further support current relationships with their academic collaborators as it appears to progress the educated citizen
and public health workforce movements. Further, it may be time for the leaders of academic public health programs to seek more meaningful educational (active learning) opportunities for their students by promoting closer interactions and involvement of public health professionals
working in LHDs.