2013 is shaping up to be another busy year for the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages). In addition to conference call and in-person Council on Linkages meetings early in the year, work will continue on many Council on Linkages initiatives, including the Academic Health Department (AHD) Learning Community, the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies), and the Public Health Workforce Development Inventory initiative. Through all of these efforts, numerous opportunities exist for public health practitioners, educators, researchers, and others to get involved with the Council on Linkages.

AHD Learning Community
Efforts to grow and enhance the AHD Learning Community will continue this year, focusing on how to best support members in developing, maintaining, and expanding AHD partnerships and to sustain engagement and learning within the community. Meetings will be held throughout the year, and the Learning Community will be exploring the use of smaller groups to more specifically target topics of interest to members. New ideas for resource development and discussion will be pursued as well. Join the AHD Learning Community and participate in any of its activities by contacting Kathleen Amos at [email protected].

Core Competencies
In addition to tool development and refinement, 2013 brings the start of efforts to revise the Core Competencies. Information will be gathered that will help the Council on Linkages determine whether revisions are needed to keep the Core Competencies relevant and provide a foundation for the possible revisions to follow. Throughout this process, public health professionals will have multiple opportunities to voice their opinions. Professionals can also make a more sustained contribution to Core Competencies activities by joining the Core Competencies Workgroup. To join, email Kathleen Amos at [email protected].

Public Health Workforce Development Inventory
Information gathering about workforce development plans and activities in the field of public health is expected to continue as Council on Linkages member organizations refine and supplement the information provided to date. All of the information collected will be considered together to lay the groundwork for more strategically advancing public health workforce development in this country. For additional information about this initiative, please contact Kathleen Amos at [email protected].

In addition to engaging with these projects, there are many other ways to connect with the Council on Linkages. Keep track of and participate in major happenings by reading the Council on Linkages Update, visiting the Council on Linkages website, following Council on Linkages news articles and blog posts, connecting with the Council on Linkages on Twitter, attending Council on Linkages meetings, or sharing your questions and ideas with Council on Linkages staff by emailing Kathleen Amos at [email protected]. Hope to hear from you in 2013!