Building capacity for local public health: lessons from a mixed-methods evaluation of an academic-public health partnership used in response to COVID-19.

Introduction: The Massachusetts Academic Health Department Consortium (AHD) established the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps (APHVC) to support Local Health Departments (LHDs, = 351) to meet rapidly emerging needs during the COVID-19 pandemic through engaging student volunteers. A program evaluation captured lessons learned and informed recommendations for sustainability and future replication.

Methods: The mixed-methods evaluation leveraged the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).