Public Health Preparedness, Response, & Recovery: Lessons Learned through Collaboration & Leadership Part 3

Background: Over the past two decades the U.S. has faced major mass casualty incidents from natural disasters to terrorist events that overwhelmed local healthcare systems.  As a result of these disasters, the Institute of Medicine recognized that hospitals and community healthcare settings have a “duty to plan” for catastrophic events (Hanfling, Altevogt, Viswanathan, & Goslin, 2012). Healthcare leaders must now recognize their essential role in planning for the complex set of activities involved in emergency preparedness. Within this context of a duty to plan, important questions arise: Who provides the leadership to bring together the complex network of community agencies, healthcare organizations, first responders, and state and federal resources that are required to develop and evaluate emergency preparedness plans? Who provides the leadership during an actual disaster when resources are scarce and priorities shift from the care of individuals to making careful decisions for the good of the overall population?  Description: This session will focus on how public health professionals can build their leadership skills and become more effective in supporting their communities in emergency preparedness and response through individual leadership development. Leadership is a learned competency that can be continually developed through specific strategies that include gaining a deeper understanding of leadership concepts and adopting an individualized leadership development plan that builds on one’s strengths and resources. Implications: Participants will leave this session with a deeper understanding of leadership and specific resources for creating an individualized leadership development plan and start a leadership development work group in their organization.