Leadership (Champion)

Overview

Lead Agency Changes Perceptions - “You too are a public health agency”
Because many agencies and organizations function independently and are aimed at specified missions, they create programs that are built and remain in silos. The lead agency has the opportunity to help partners recognize their potential in driving public health initiatives. By creating a comprehensive main stage of public health, the lead agency can help community partners realize their position on the ‘map of public health’ and can begin to see that ‘integration accelerates prevention.’ Partners can begin to incorporate public health in their organization’s mission, role, and goals.

A Champion Lights and Leads –  “My Dr. Mike says … meet me and run”

A local community champion is needed to spark the enthusiasm, engage a following, and sustain the momentum of partners and community members in achieving common goals. For example, a physician who is a regular runner invites his community to walk or run with him each morning.

Practical Resources
 
MAPP – Mobilizing Action Planning and Partnerships
MAPP provides a good discussion on changing the paradigm for how we think about public health planning from an operational to a strategic viewpoint.  The MAPP Basic section describes the shift in approach as well as the key elements in the section The Elements of MAPP.

Community as a Full Partner in Public Health Initiatives
Getting professionals and communities to participate on the main stage of public health is a challenge for many organizations.  Seattle Partners for Public Health present a good overview highlighting community-based health programs and provide examples of successful projects.

Campaign for Community Values
This resource provides information and ideas for the development of leadership in building the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income minorities. It discusses how to change communities and public policies using grassroots campaigns to enhance their leadership, voice, and power.  Training materials, a toolkit, and the “our projectscampaign for community values” tab provide examples of innovative projects, ideas, and resources for advancing community values and initiatives.

Public Health Institute
The Public Health Institute’s philosophy is “Working Collaboratively to Change the Way People Think About Health.” They approach change in public health by bringing together people with common interests and different viewpoints.  Under the “Public Health 101 tab there is a section called “What is Public Healththat briefly talks about the comprehensive nature of public health and provides perspectives on public health.

Health Research and Educational Trust
In A Public Health Challenge, the Health and Hospitals Network helps leaders gain a larger vision of public health and identifies the need to create partnerships that maximize resources.  It calls for hospitals, public health leaders, and practitioners (both public and private sectors) to change and improve the public health landscape through seven recommendations:

    1. Eliminate health disparities
        2. Coordinate care
        3. Promote primary prevention
        4. Optimize access to care
        5. Advocate for payment for prevention
        6. Build community capacity
        7. Support expanding the public health infrastructure.