Online Program

275428
Governance reorganization of the Arizona public health association


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

George J. Graham, PhD, School of Advanced Studies, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
Patti Taylor, BS, CHES, Greater Valley Area Health Education Center, Apache Junction, AZ
Non-profit professional associations, such as the Arizona Public Health Association, are advocates for their profession and they serve the interests of their members. As associations grow in membership and as greater demands are made on its governing body, efficiency of operations and responsiveness to members' needs may become sluggish. Such was the case of the Arizona Public Health Association. The board of directors expanded to meet various needs but the efficiency and effectiveness of the board suffered. The election of a new executive board in 2010 prompted the board to take action. The actions proposed were to revise the mission and vision statements and to reorganize the governance of the association. Using the Kurt Lewin (1947) Change Management Model as a guide, a plan for the reorganization was written. The staged 3 year plan allowed the membership to approve/disapprove at the association's annual meetings each stage of the reorganization. Stage 1: Unfreezing. During the year 1 stage, executive board members articulated the rationale for the change process. A communication process was designed to inform members what reorganization might mean, to gather input from members, and to prepare a motion for approval at the annual meeting. Stage 2: Change (or Transition). During the year 2 stage, the executive board members and the executive director of the association planned out what changes would be made and how to implement them. Policies and procedures were rewritten and changes to the by-laws were prepared for membership approval. Stage 3: Freezing (or Refreezing). During the year 3 stage, the changes were fully implemented. An evaluation of the changes will take place prior to the association's annual meeting in September 2013 along with discussion of lessons learned.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Public health administration or related administration

Learning Objectives:
Describe the governance reorganization processes identified and implemented by the board of directors of the Arizona Public Health Association. Identify the change model that underlies the reorganization of the Arizona Public Health Association. Describe the lessons learned from the reorganization processes.

Keyword(s): Change Concepts, Decision-Making

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Patti Taylor, CHES, is the director for the Greater Valley Area Health Education Center. GVAHEC works to recruit and retain health professionals to work in rural and underserved communities. Patti holds a Bachelors degree in Exercise and Wellness from Arizona State University. Patti is currently working on her Masters in Healthcare Administration from AT Still University. She is passionate about health promotion and prevention programs. Patti is the current President for the Arizona Affiliate.
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.