228364 Learning about how health systems in California and Hawaii can address the social determinants of health: Practices that make a difference

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 5:10 PM - 5:30 PM

Carol Woltring, MPH , Public Health Institute, Center for Health Leadership & Practice, Oakland, CA
Rebecca Aced-Molina, MA , Public Health Institute, Center for Health Leadership and Practice, Oakland, CA
The CA/Hawaii Public Health Leadership Institute's mission is to provide a yearlong leadership development program each year to a cohort of selected participations from the public health system in each State. The Institute emphasizes increasing participants' leadership knowledge, skills, and commitment to leading and managing change, developing organizational capacity, creating strategies, and building partnerships that will contribute to eliminating health inequities and promoting healthy communities in healthy environments. Core to the curriculum are eight public health practices that are introduced conceptually and through case examples to participants. Participants are then required to design and lead a change project within their respective organizations that will move them towards achieving greater health equity. Participants are paired with an action learning coach who supports the design and implementation of the project as well as surface and examine learning opportunities. The first year of the Institute was evaluated and short term results documented in a full report, completed in February of 2010. The evaluation report utilizes a blend of methodologies (surveys, reports, interviews, and stories) to demonstrate which of the public health practices are being implemented most effectively and why. In particular, case examples from Fresno, Madera, Humboldt and Pasadena illuminate how leadership development can build the capacity of health departments in essential practices necessary to transform the culture of public health towards a focus on social determinants of health and health equity.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Chronic disease management and prevention
Public health administration or related administration

Learning Objectives:
1. Define eight essential public practices necesary for transforming public health to achieve health equity. 2. Formulate strategies for implementing public health practices in participants' jurisdictions based on case examples presented. 3. Analyze strengths and weaknesses in participants' jurisdictions and generate concrete ideas for improving practice.

Keywords: Leadership, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Executive Director of the Center for Health Leadership and Practice and direct the CA/Hawaii Public Health Leadership Institute which teaches senior level public health leaders to adopt and champion public health practices to address social determinants of health and health inequities. I have made numerous presentations to national and international audiences about leadership development, mentoring and coaching, and succession planning in the public sector. I have published a book on women’s leadership entitled “Journey to Leadership: Profiles of Women Leaders in Public Health” and numerous articles on leadership program evaluation and various leadership topics. My Center has developed concise Guides for Protégés and Mentors that are available in English and Spanish and can be downloaded free of charge from my Center’s website www.cfhl.org. In 2009 I was awarded the Balderson Public Health Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Leadership Development Network. I hold a Masters Degree in Public Health from U.C. Berkeley.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.