The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health signed a 10-year agreement to form the state's first academic public health department.
Officials said the goal of the partnership is to collaborate on various research endeavors and community health projects and to prevent the organizations from competing with one another for resources. The agreement also allows both institutions to engage in more research, funding and training opportunities for UIC students and CPDH employees.
"The overarching benefit of this partnership is the sharing of resources," said Griselle Torres, MD, director of the coordinating center for public health practice at UIC. "Resources are scarce and the state is in a crisis."