Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of this presentation participants will be able to better understand state health department (SHD) – medical professional organization relationships.

Background:
SHD- medical professional organization partnerships are important for improving public health but little is known about how partners perceive these relationships.

Objectives:
To assess the current relationships between the SHD and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Methods:
Surveys were distributed to immunization managers of SHD and AAP and AAFP chapter/district presidents and/or executive directors in each state. They were developed to assess the type and quality of the relationships (e.g. frequency of contact, level of satisfaction with the relationships, interest in strengthening relationships).

Results:
Response rates were: SHD-82%, AAP-85%, AAFP-58%.
Overall, 74% SHD respondents reported routine contact with AAP and 57% with the AAFP. 73% of AAP respondents and 62% of AAFP respondents reported recent contact with their SHD.
Most SHD respondents reported satisfaction with their relationship with the AAP (78%) and the AAFP (65%). Similarly, most AAP and AAFP respondents reported satisfaction with their SHD relationship (78% and 62% respectively). State-matched pairs often agreed on satisfaction level (AAP-SHD 50% and AAFP-SHD 64%).
The majority of AAP and AAFP respondents wanted to further strengthen their relationship with the SHD (79% and 90% respectively) and 65% of SHD respondents expressed the same sentiment.


Conclusions:
While relationships between the SHD and AAP and AAFP are self-assessed as good, there is room and desire for improvement. Strong, satisfying partnerships can improve delivery of routine public health services and response to emergencies. Partnerships are even more critical in this time of concern over bioterrorism, natural disasters, and potential pandemic influenza.