Recorded presentation

Helen Horton, MPH, School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 301 Architecture Annex, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 5408182411, hhorton1@vt.edu

Background: State public health systems in the nation vary in organizational design and in the scope of services they provide. In general, local governments look to state agencies to designate their roles and authority; however, state government hiring freezes and personnel policies encumber health departments in recruiting and retaining skilled public health professionals and the political nature of the State Health Commissioner or Chief Executive Officer shortens the average tenure of the agency leadership. Since this position is typically a political appointee, the average tenure is two years. Therefore, many state public health agencies are realizing the need to focus on an open system approach to collaboration in order to promote sustainability of efforts and to advance shared management.

Significance: The purpose of this paper is to develop innovative process model for state and local public health agencies to share limited resources, to bridge the communication divide, and to work collaboratively in promoting and protecting the public’s health.

Methodology: The Model for Collaborative Public Health Leadership was constructed based on a review of the literature and key informant interviews. This process Model considers internal and external forces and offers a type of leadership that promotes short-term and long-term results.

Conclusion: The Model for Collaborative Public Health Leadership encourages leaders in the field to think of public health from a systems perspective and encourages local and state agencies to become proactive in public health decision-making by gathering formal and informal data from internal and external stakeholders.

Learning Objectives: