Interaction between a medical group and a school of public health: a case study of a productive affiliation.

As schools of the health sciences come under increasing financial pressures and providers must cope with the increasing complexity of the health care system, mutually supportive arrangements may become more common and more important to both parties. Underlying such arrangements is the expectation that the schools of the health sciences may gain sources of support for professional education and access to training opportunities and that the providers may gain in operational capacity and access to specialized expertise. We have developed a collaborative relationship between a school of public health and a multispecialty group medical practice. Although in some respects an improbable combination, the relationship has yielded benefits and may be of interest to other institutions.