Leadership for Public Health: Theory and Practice

Today's rapidly evolving public health arena urgently needs effective leaders. In fact, this need is so pressing that the major public health associations have come together to call for a new emphasis on leadership development in the public health workforce.

Leadership for Public Health: Theory and Practice aims to answer this call. The book is based on the premise that skilled public health leaders consider people their most valuable resource and are prepared to lead those people through a wide variety of situations. Acknowledging that effective leadership cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach, the authors challenge readers to try out a number of leadership models and theories, determine which are the best fit for their public health practice, and apply the key principles in their day-to-day work.

The book matches its detailed discussion of leadership theory with examples and cases specific to the field of public health. Written primarily for graduate-level public health students, it is also useful for public health leadership institutes and public health practitioners looking to develop their leadership skills. The book is structured in three parts:

• The Basis for Effective Public Health Practice, which provides an overview of leadership and professionalism in today s public health landscape.
• Leadership Theories and Concepts, which explores the models of leadership most likely to aid aspiring leaders.
• The Effective Practice of Public Health Leadership, which further develops the theories and concepts as they apply to public health.

Leadership for Public Health: Theory and Practice presents a practical framework for leaders at any public health organization, regardless of size or type, and at any level in the organizational hierarchy. Ultimately, the book aims to develop the leadership necessary to galvanize organizations and communities in transformational change to improve the public’s health.

About the Authors

James W. Holsinger Jr., MD, PhD, has practiced leadership in a variety of organizations both in academia and in federal (civilian and military) and state government. He currently serves as the Charles T. Wethington Jr. Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. He has faculty appointments in preventive medicine and environmental health and in health management and policy at the College of Public Health and in internal medicine, surgery, and anatomy at the College of Medicine. Dr. Holsinger served for 26 years in the US Department of Veterans Affairs. During this time, he held appointments as chief of staff and medical center director in various Veterans Affairs medical centers. In 1990, he was nominated by President George H. W. Bush and confirmed by the US Senate as the first presidentially appointed chief medical director of the Veterans Health Administration. In 1992, he became the first undersecretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs. From 1994 to 2003, he served as chancellor of the University of Kentucky Medical Center. In 2003, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed him as the first secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. After serving in that role for two years, Dr. Holsinger returned to the University of Kentucky faculty in 2005. Dr. Holsinger spent more than 31 years in the US Army Reserve, serving as the commander of several hospitals, in addition to other appointments. His US Army Reserve career culminated in 1989 with his assignment to the Joint Staff as assistant director for Logistics J-4 (Medical Support) and his promotion to major general in 1990. He retired from the US Army Reserve in 1993. A 1993 recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives Gold Medal Award, Dr. Holsinger received both his MD and his PhD from Duke University.

Erik L. Carlton, DrPH, is assistant professor of health systems management and policy and the director of the Master of Health Administration program at the University of Memphis School of Public Health, where he teaches courses in healthcare management leadership, population health management, healthcare quality and outcomes, and health policy and the organization of health systems. He also holds adjunct faculty appointments in preventive medicine and in advanced practice and doctoral studies and is an affiliate faculty member with the Center for Health Systems Improvement at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. Dr. Carlton's current research focuses on public health and healthcare leadership, the intersection of public health and primary care systems, and the integration of behavioral health into healthcare and public health systems. Dr. Carlton has nearly two decades of managerial and leadership experience in both private- and public-sector organizations. He has served as a consultant to numerous local health departments, hospital systems, and other healthcare organizations. He is a past chair of the Public Health Academics section of the Tennessee Public Health Association and a past treasurer of the Health Administration section of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Carlton is a behavioral health clinician licensed to practice in marriage and family therapy. He previously operated a private therapy practice, and he continues to consult with public health and healthcare organizations on behavioral health integration and strategies. Dr. Carlton holds a doctor of public health degree in health services management and a master of science degree in family studies (with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy), both from the University of Kentucky.