Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

#2023-11.2-4.1
Contact: István Fazekas
Public Information Officer
ifazekas@sjcphs.org | (209) 468-8584

Stockton, CA (November 15, 2023) – San Joaquin County Public Health Services (PHS) is proud to announce its recent designation as Northern California’s only Academic Health Department (AHD), as sanctioned by the Public Health Foundation. In partnership with the University of the Pacific (UOP), PHS will now serve as a collaborative partner in research, training, and public education across a diverse range of public health disciplines, including joint development of nursing curricula, conducting epidemiological studies, and enhancing clinical lab skills. Currently, only San Diego County has attained this designation in California. “This collaboration will allow us to leverage expertise of both agencies and offer more opportunities for innovation and partnership,” states Surbhi Jayant, Director of Public Health Nursing for San Joaquin County Public Health Services.

AHDs are supported by the Public Health Foundation (Washington, DC) with over 1,600 members nationwide, and the Council on Linkages, With the AHD model UOP students benefit from real-world experience by interning at PHS, and the programs then benefit from those interns who decide to make PHS their career.. This The AHD is another demonstration of the rich and long-standing relationship that these two entities enjoy.

For more information about AHDs, consult the Public Health Foundation’s website.