Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102495

Christopher Atchison, MPA, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, E220B GH, Iowa City, IA 52242, 319-384-5487, Chris-atchison@uiowa.edu, Kathleen Nolan, MPH, Center for Best Practices, National Governors Association, 444 N. Capitol, Washington, DC 20001, and Jason Hohl, Assocation of State and Territorial Health Officials, 1275 K. St. N.W, Washington, DC 20005-4006.

The nation's 57 state health officials oversee organizations with complex responsibilities ranging from assuring that safety net services are in place to the development of health promotion strategies. Achieving success in these jobs requires a mastery of both professional and policy skills. Unfortunately, statistics reveal that the occupants of these jobs hold office for an average of approximately two years. This means that a new state health officer (SHO) must become oriented to all aspects of the job as quickly as possible if they are to be successful. The State Health Leadership Initiative, established in 1998 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, helps to address this need by providing newly designated health officials with a series of opportunities to learn about the responsibilities, meet colleagues and develop a personal network that can sustain them in times of crisis.

The SHLI is overseen by a national program office located at the Center for Best Practices, National Governor's Association and includes partners at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Together these partners have established a number of opportunities for the new SHO including: an orientation to the demands of public office, the partnering the new SHO with an experienced colleague, provision of personal skills assessment; a week long program in leadership and individually tailored support for personal development.

This presentation will describe bases for complexity in state health leadership; discuss the principles, design, operation and effects of the elements of this program, outline lessons learned in program operation and share the experience of health officials as they reflect on their adjustment to office and state public health leadership. Information presented will include data on program activities, qualitative evaluation of the program's effect and discussion of the future challenges to state health leadership.

From this presentation participants should better understand the multiple dimensions of state health agency leadership as well as to identify steps individuals should consider as they undertake their own leadership roles.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session participants will be able to

• Identify the personal, professional and political challenges facing a state's new chief health official
• Describe at least 5 strategies that enable a health official to overcome the challenges of office
• Recognize organizational and structural differences between the nation's state health agencies.

Keywords: Leadership, Public Health Agency Roles

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation