“The state of being a partner.”
Merriam-Webster
As 2023 comes to a close, a keyword foundational to public health that keeps emerging across the field is “partnerships”. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines partnerships as a noun through various meanings, such as a) “the state of being a partner” or b) “a legal relation existing between two or more persons contractually associated as joint principals in a business” (2023). Partnerships take various forms, all of which are integral to improving population health and advancing health equity. Strategic skills focused on building and maintaining cross-sectoral partnerships are essential to strengthen the capacity of the public health workforce. Partnerships also play a key role in advancing local public health efforts, including a renewed emphasis on building strong relationships between public health and communities to systematically reduce health inequities (CDC Foundation, 2023).
With partnerships in mind, SLM Consulting ends 2023 with renewed and new partnerships in place to continue to support public health efforts. SLM Consulting has been fortunate to expand partnerships with new local, state, and national organizations as well as engage new public health consultants, students, and contractors to expand our reach focused on the mission to advance health equity through prevention, multi-sector collaborations, and evidence-based practice.
All of this important work we do in public health, including myself, can only be done through collaborative efforts and partnerships with others to help inform decision-making and drive the important work to strive to support the highest level of health for all people. As 2024 moves in, continue to keep “partnerships” at the top of your list to adapt to an ever-changing public health landscape. Happy New Year!