Recorded presentation

Shirley Orr, MHS, ARNP, CNAA¹, Suzanne R. Hawley, PhD, MPH², Craig A. Molgaard, PhD, MPH³, Germaine Hall², Amy Chesser, MAC⁴, Teresa L. Jones, MPH, MT(ASCP)³, Angelia Paschal, PhD³, and Becky Gruhn⁵. (1) Office of Local and Rural Health, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 340, Suite 340, Topeka, KS 66612-1365, 785-296-7100, sorr@kdhe.state.ks.us, (2) Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, 316-293-2627, shalwey@kumc.edu, (3) Preventive Medicine & Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, (4) Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine, 1010 N. Kansas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67214, (5) West Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation, 320 Main Street, Manning, IA 51455

This paper describes a new leadership-training program in Kansas that brings together public health personnel from diverse professions across the state to improve leadership and preparedness in dealing with potential public health crises, including bioterrorism. This leadership-training program, which takes place over the course of a year, is part of the effort to develop a national system of public health preparedness centers, and it arose out of the Centers for Disease Control and Disease Prevention’s partnership with a variety of diverse public health institutions and agencies. Three training objectives in the Kansas leadership program aim to improve the state’s preparedness for large-scale public health crises: (1) Enhancing the leadership competencies through skill building that is vital to strengthening the public health system and preparedness in Kansas. (2) Strengthening linkages and relationships among public health practitioners and also developing collaborative networks with public health academicians to unify the community to enhance public health preparedness activities across the state. (3) Providing a collaborative sequential leadership development model that supports application of new skills and enhanced relationships/partnerships in the practice setting by requiring scholars to complete public health case studies. By fostering greater understanding within a diverse professional community, the program can improve acceptance of a greater mission and agenda across professional boundaries. Awareness of a shared vision using a common language (e.g. leadership training) can allow for greater collaboration among professionally diverse groups and better preparedness in times of public health crises.

Learning Objectives: After the conclusion of this presentation, the learner will be able to

• Understand why public health disaster preparedness should include leadership development & training.
• Recognize the importance of unifying professions within regions to more effectly prevent and respond to crises.
• Describe a comprehensive approach and specific mechanisms that train the public health workforce in crisis leadership and collaboration.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Leadership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.

Recorded presentation