DEFINING FACTORS AND CHALLENGE POINTS OF UNIVERSITY-BASED COMMUNITY INITIATIVES: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION OF ONE HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROJECT

This thesis presents information on community healthy marriage initiatives and university-community collaborations. Specifically, it examined the workings of one of those healthy marriage initiatives in the university-community collaborative context. The project explored the current process of this initiative, identifying specific challenge points and defining factors and characteristics associated with the success thereof. Rather than working in discrete categories, these challenge points exist on a success continuum. How each challenge is managed determines whether it is a success factor or a stumbling block. The project is grounded in published learning from other university-community initiatives and employs an ethnographic qualitative research strategy. Data consist of interviews with several key collaborators (n = 9) who were involved with this initiative. The findings from this ethnography support and enhance previous literature on university-community collaborations and outreach scholarship and provide useful examples and lessons that can be used by other university-community collaborations, especially those involving marriage education initiatives in a community setting

Accreditation intent, community health assessments, and local health department–hospital collaboration

Background: Community health assessments (CHAs) are among the most core of activities conducted by local health departments (LHDs), and many LHDs have been conducting CHAs on a regular basis for years. More recently, completing a CHA has also become a prerequisite for LHDs seeking accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Similarly, under the Affordable Care Act, tax-exempt hospitals are required to conduct periodic community health needs assessments. Opportunities thus exist for LHDs and tax-exempt hospitals to engage in collaborations related to CHAs. Yet, it remains unclear whether interest in PHAB accreditation provides incentive to LHDs to engage in collaborations with hospitals around community health assessment and improvement planning. Methods: Using data from the 2013 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Profile study, LHD-hospital collaborations related to CHAs were examined, including characteristics of LHDs involved in such collaborations and the relationships between LHDs’ level of engagement with accreditation activities and their involvement in collaborations with hospitals. Results: LHDs that collaborate with hospitals on CHAs are larger, have higher total and per capita expenditures, and are more likely to be locally governed and to have a local board of health. Three PHAB pre-requisites—completion of a CHA, completion of a community health improvement plan, and completion of an agency-wide strategic plan within the previous 5 years—were all significantly correlated (p \u3c 0.01) with LHD-hospital collaborations, suggesting that accreditation efforts may be a positive influence on collaborations. Implications: Policymakers could provide incentive for voluntary accreditation to encourage greater collaboration between LHDs and hospitals around CHAs

Answering the Call to Integrate: Simple Strategies from Public Health and Healthcare Executives in One Urban County

Background: As the Affordable Care Act transforms the practice of both public health and health care, it also provides opportunity for both to become more closely linked through improved integration and collaboration. Yet, while public health agencies are increasingly called to work with healthcare partners to address population health needs, both public health leaders and their healthcare counterparts may not be well equipped to answer that call. Although recent studies have begun exploring the collaborative strategies and capacity of public health system partners, there is still much to learn. The purpose of this study was to identify, through the perspective of senior public health and healthcare leaders, actionable strategies that might facilitate better integration or linkages between public health and healthcare organizations. Methods: Through semi-structured key informant interviews with senior healthcare and public health executives in one urban county, strategies were identified that public health and healthcare leaders might use to more effectively link population health programs and activities. Data were collected in 2013–2014; analysis was conducted in 2014. Results: Identified strategies include: focusing on targeted issues with shared interest; leveraging payers and business partners to expand support for integrated efforts; training and retraining the workforce for interdisciplinary, population health work; and developing and supporting a strong, neutral convening agency. Implications: As they employ these strategies to structure collaborative efforts, public health and healthcare leaders may improve linkages around population health programs and activities

Editorial: Leading People - Managing Organizations: Contemporary Public Health Leadership

Effectively leading people engaged in the practice of public health has never been more critical than in the early years of the twenty-first century. Likewise, effectively managing the organizations in which these individuals practice the various professional disciplines of public health has become increasing important and difficult. Taken together, leading the people and managing public health organizations requires well educated and appropriately trained public health leaders and managers. Although leadership is often viewed as one of the key attributes of management, not every great manager will be a great leader and vice versa. While some leaders may be born with the inherent skills to lead, most effective leaders develop the requisite skills through education, additional training, and practice. Our aim is to focus the attention of public health practitioners on the importance of effectively leading public health organizations. Public health managers should recognize that their most valuable resource is the people they lead. The articles comprising the eBook on Leading People – Managing Organizations is composed of articles expressing the opinion of their authors of the need for effective public health leaders; perspective articles establishing their authors’ understanding of how leadership may be applied in various situations; methods articles that demonstrate how public health leadership may be applied, and original research articles that establish the role of public health leadership research studies

Full-Range Public Health Leadership, Part 2: Qualitative Analysis and Synthesis

Public health leadership is an important topic in the era of U.S. health reform, population health innovation, and health system transformation. This study utilized the full-range leadership model in order to examine the public health leadership. We sought to understand local public health leadership from the perspective of local health department leaders and those who work with and for them. Public health leadership was explored through interviews and focus groups with directors (n = 4) and staff (n = 33) from local health departments. Qualitative analytic methods included reflexive journals, code-recode procedures, and member checking, with analysis facilitated by Atlas.ti v.6.0. Qualitative results supported and expanded upon previously reported quantitative findings. Leading by example and providing individual consideration to followers were found to be more important than other leader factors, such as intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, or idealized attributes of leaders. Having a clear and competent vision of public health, being able to work collaboratively with other community agencies, and addressing the current challenges to public health with creativity and innovation were also important findings. Idealized leadership behaviors and individual consideration should be the focus of student and professional development. Models that incorporate contextual considerations, such as the situational leadership model, could be utilized to ensure that optimal individual consideration is given to followers

Full-Range Public Health Leadership, Part 1: Quantitative Analysis

BACKGROUND: Workforce and leadership development are central to the future of public health. However, public health has been slow to translate and apply leadership models from other professions and to incorporate local perspectives in understanding public health leadership. PURPOSE: This study utilized the full-range leadership model in order to examine public health leadership. Specifically, it sought to measure leadership styles among local health department directors and to understand the context of leadership in local health departments. METHODS: Leadership styles among local health department directors (n = 13) were examined using survey methodology. Quantitative analysis methods included descriptive statistics, boxplots, and Pearson bivariate correlations using SPSS v18.0. FINDINGS: Self-reported leadership styles were highly correlated to leadership outcomes at the organizational level. However, they were not related to county health rankings. Results suggest the preeminence of leader behaviors and providing individual consideration to staff as compared to idealized attributes of leaders, intellectual stimulation, or inspirational motivation. IMPLICATIONS: Holistic leadership assessment instruments such as the multifactor leadership questionnaire can be useful in assessing public health leaders\u27 approaches and outcomes. Comprehensive, 360-degree reviews may be especially helpful. Further research is needed to examine the effectiveness of public health leadership development models, as well as the extent that public health leadership impacts public health outcomes

Supporting Spartina: Interdisciplinary perspective shows Spartina as a distinct solid genus

In 2014 a DNA-based phylogenetic study confirming the paraphyly of the grass subtribe Sporobolinae proposed the creation of a large monophyletic genus Sporobolus, including (among others) species previously included in the genera Spartina, Calamovilfa, and Sporobolus. Spartina species have contributed substantially (and continue contributing) to our knowledge in multiple disciplines, including ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, biogeography, experimental ecology, environmental management, restoration ecology, history, economics, and sociology. There is no rationale so compelling to subsume the name Spartina as a subgenus that could rival the striking, global iconic history and use of the name Spartina for over 200 years. We do not agree with the arguments underlying the proposal to change Spartina to Sporobolus. We understand the importance of taxonomy and of formalized nomenclature and hope that by opening this debate we will encourage positive feedback that will strengthen taxonomic decisions with an interdisciplinary perspective. We consider the strongly distinct, monophyletic clade Spartina should simply and efficiently be treated as the genus Spartina