Objective: Empirically examine medicine and public health partnership factors that are associated with partnership success.

Methods: 329 medicine and public health partnership informants were interviewed to assess factors associated with success in achieving partnership goals.

Results: Partnership formation; partner recruitment; barriers to collaboration; and leadership/governance variables were not predictive of partnership success. Partnership duration was significant in predicting success in achieving outcomes.

Conclusions: Factors identified in the literature are not as salient as believed in insuring the success of medicine and public health partnerships. The longer a partnership can remain intact (i.e., minimally longer than one year), irrespective of the particularities of the formation and structure of the partnership, the greater the probability that the partnership will achieve its desired outcomes.

Each year the Great Valley Center produces a report in the five part State of the Great Central Valley series. The data is updated in 5-year increments.

Based on the data, the Great Valley Center recognizes the potential to improve health outcomes throughout the region. Overall, the indicators suggest five strategies:

* Invest in Prevention * Be Strategic With Limited Resources * Model Healthy Lifestyles for Youth * Build Coalitions in Support of a Healthier Environment * Reduce Poverty