Institute produces future leaders in public health for three-state region
The Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute, a professional development program of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, graduated its sixth class of scholars this fall.
The year-long program is designed to build and enhance leadership skills for established and emerging leaders in the region’s public health systems.
The 23 graduates came from public and private organizations that work to improve the health and well-being of people and communities in Nebraska and Iowa. Since 2005, the institute has trained 116 people who serve the states of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.
One scholar, Sheri Bowen from Glenwood, Iowa, praised the institute. “The relationships I have developed are so beneficial and I believe they will be lifelong. I have definitely become re-energized and rededicated to my work as a public health leader.”
By 2020, the Association of Schools of Public Health has reported that the United States will face a shortage of 250,000 public health workers. In addition, approximately 110,000 workers, nearly 25 percent of the current workforce, will be eligible to retire by 2012.
Only about four percent of local health department workers have completed formal public health training or certification, said Magda Peck, Sc.D., founding director of the institute and associate dean in the UNMC College of Public Health.
“It’s vitally important that we have skilled public health leaders,” she said.
“Our public health workers are on the front lines of new threats to human health,” she said. “They are the people who will identify emerging epidemics and work to gain access to health care for people who are in need. Effective leadership is required to keep everyone safe and sound.”
Nebraska graduates of the class of 2010-2011 and their hometowns are:
· Carleton – Debra Schardt;
· Columbus – Roberta Miksch, East Central District Health Department;
· Lincoln – Gwendy Meginnis, Lancaster County Health Department; Lynne Brehm, Cathy Dillon, Elizabeth Esseks, Doug Gillespie, Jeff Soukup and Andrea Wenke, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; and Mary Laaker, Preventive Medicine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
· Omaha – Sergio Costa and Christopher Fisher, Ph.D., UNMC College of Public Health; Angeline Petak, Heartland Community Health Network;
· Wayne – Barb Fish, Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department;
· Wisner – Larry Bockelman and Ann Larsen, Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department.
Graduates from Iowa are:
· Des Moines – Jolene Carver, Jill Lange and Holly Smith, Iowa Department of Public Health; and Jill Whitson, Central Iowa, Area Health Education Center;
· Dubuque – Molly Lammers, Visiting Nurse Association;
· Glenwood – Sheri Bowen, Mills County Public Health Department;
· Sioux City – Becky Carlson, Siouxland District Health Department.
Following graduation, a new class of 22 scholars was welcomed and attended their first learning session. Leadership scholars in the new class of 2011-2012 are:
· Columbus – Sachin Bagade and Ruth Mueller, East Central District Health Department;
· McCook – Heidi Wheeler, Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department;
· Lincoln –Tina Spreng and Larry Voegele, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Health Services Department; and Brian Coyle, Tina Goodwin, Sara Morgan and Jenifer Roberts-Johnson, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services;
· Omaha – Shavonna Lausterer, Douglas County Health Department; Vicki Bangert and Sara Howard, One World Community Health Centers, Inc.; Stephanie Gould, Heartland Community Health Network; Bill Minier, M.D., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska; Sarah Brandon, Alegent Health; Kimberly Norman, UNMC College of Pharmacy; and Leslie Elliott, Ph.D., Shawn Gibbs, Ph.D. and Melissa Tibbits, Ph.D., UNMC College of Public Health;
· Wisner – Laura Holtz, Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department;
Students outside Nebraska are:
· Rapid City, S.D. – Maylynn Warne, Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board; and
· Iowa City, Iowa – Sue Jehle, Child Health Specialty Clinics, University of Iowa.
The leadership institute is supported in part by funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNMC.
Application deadline for the 2012-2013 year is June 1.Contact Brandon Grimm at (402) 559-5645, or blgrimm@unmc.edu.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.
Institute produces future leaders in public health in three-state region