Public Health Leadership Scholars: Day 1
The first day of the Public Health Leadership Scholars Program was
filled with new information–an introduction to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and the
United States Public Health Service (USPHS). Throughout the day of
presentations, multiple overarching themes were addressed--one being the
definition of public health and its integration into clinical medicine. The
second, and most important theme that we noticed in most (if not all) of the
presentations today, was resilience. Most notably, we learned the use of
resilience and its application within the field of emergency and preparedness
response in a healthcare emergency.
We were provided a thorough explanation of the five Executive Core
Qualifications by Captain Robert Tosatto (and affectionately dubbed “ECQs” by
those working in federal public health). These qualifications provide a
framework for government to use when determining the best techniques of
leadership for the sake of effecting meaningful change ranging from the ability
to build coalitions to the ability to implement helpful visions. The
qualifications varied in scope but all traced back to the central idea of
resilience. Captain Tosatto emphasized the importance of resilience in
embodying these five Executive Core Qualifications whenever one must fulfill a leadership
role, particularly regarding the federal public health system. His presentation
truly opened our eyes to new approaches to leadership, and his words equipped
us with useful tools for our coming futures.
Shortly following Captain Tosatto’s presentation was one from
Commander (CDR) Skip Payne regarding the application of a meta-leadership
style. According to his presentation, meta-leadership seeks to reframe the
process and practice of leaders so that attention is given only to the most
pertinent aspects. Within meta-leadership lies three central dimensions: the
person, the situation, and the connectivity that allows us to communicate
effectively and make wise decisions. CDR Payne shared his own experiences in
the field of meta-leadership: we chuckled alongside him as he reveled in his
experiences as a competent leader, but we also listened intently as he
reflected on instances in which he failed to act effectively. The one takeaway
from his presentation was how meta-leadership, which significantly draws from
the ideas of resilience and perseverance, is crucial in the public health
sector. He applied the principles of meta-leadership to the individual,
organizational, and federal level. Through his riveting presentation, we gained
a great wealth of knowledge on how leaders in the ASPR, MRC, and public health
field operate.
Following CDR Payne was Dr. George Korch, Jr., the Acting
Assistant Secretary who shared his wisdom on career pathways. He disclosed that
his initial pathway, like most of our speakers was unconventional and was not
initially in the public health sector. Dr. Korch provided us with key values
that a leader should emulate by encouraging us to be flexible, take chances,
and look for novel opportunities. He emphasized in his presentation that
due to globalization, populations and therefore, diseases, are logarithmically
increasing. Operations Response to various events come in all shapes and sizes
and Dr. Korch emphasized that some are expected while others are not. To
progress, we must shift from threat-based to capability-based emergency
response systems. Dr. Korch left us with some advised us to care about the
people we are working with and the quality of the goal you are producing.
Captain Mix and resilience policy coordinator Darrin Donato then
proceeded to educate us on the intricacies of ABC, which symbolizes The
Division for At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health, and Community Resilience.
This organization was unheard of among nearly all of the scholars’ present, but
by the conclusion of the lecture, we all had a rich understanding of the ABC’s
purpose and function. Essentially, the ABC works to ensure that the functional
and access needs of at-risk individuals as well as the behavioral health and
resilience of a community are integrated in public health, but namely ASPR. We
were given clarity on all the previously confusing jargon: for instance, we
learned that the title of “at-risk individual” was not just reserved for those
in underserved populations, but children, pregnant women, and any individual
who may require assistance in an emergency. Furthermore, we distinguished
between access needs and functional needs, and delved into the role of the ABC
in identifying how disasters can exacerbate problems in one’s social determinants
of health. Behavioral health was discussed in the context of these public
health disasters, and light was shed on the ABC’s ability to provide mental
health support in these times of need. Of course, this paragraph would be
incomplete without mentioning the presentation’s emphasis on resilience in
community settings: through social connectedness, a community will be able to
readily recover from even the worst of devastations.
Following Captain Mix and Mr. Darrin Donato, the scholars were
able to briefly talk to Dr. Steven Krug via Web-Ex video. He mainly discussed
about a question that had come up previously regarding Flint, Michigan. The
question was “How does the Public Health Service deal with lack of trust with
people, for example, in Michigan the local government essentially poisoned the
water - I assume there was some conflict because the government (Public Health
Service) is now stepping in to help solve a problem that the government (local
government) caused. Dr. Krug explained that in situations such as Flint,
Michigan, the Public Health Service must have a clear partnership between the
government and community. Further describing how we must work together
to increase preparedness, communication, and proactive strategies; and through
this, we will be better prepared to take the punch of a national disaster.
Mr. Ed Gabriel, the Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, shared his experience
with career changes and how he assumed his current position. Mr. Gabriel began his
work in health as an Emergency Medical Technician for the New York Fire
Department where he obtained many leadership roles. He was then approached by
the Walt Disney World Company to be the Director of Global Crisis Management
and Business Continuity. From his time at Disney, Mr. Gabriel gained
experiences working in the private sector and preparing for large scale
emergency events, should any have occurred. Mr. Gabriel made clear that change
can be a good thing when you are a public servant, even if it entails initial
or monetary drawbacks!
With Captain Patrick Denis’ presentation, us
scholars were given much insight into the duties and history of the United
States Public Health Service (which was typically referred to as the USPHS; it
can probably be seen by now that the public health sector truly loves their
acronyms!). The missions of this organization can be broadly categorized into
three main goals: achieving rapid, effective response; assuming effective
leadership; and engaging in strategic networking. Additionally, we were
educated on the four R’s that describe competency in the public health service:
one must be ready, responsible, resourceful, and, of
course, resilient! Lastly, Captain Denis revealed to us the four P’s of
health: primary care, population health, personal
responsibility, and preventative medicine; these P’s, while seemingly
separate, all apply when tackling public health issues. We collectively learned
how to approach these problems holistically to achieve the most optimum
solution.
Dr. Malen Link, a Virologist from Harvard University, has spent
the past 8 years developing medical countermeasures with BARDA (Biomedical
Advanced Research and Development Authority).
One interesting topic she discussed that was unique to BARDA is the
number of products that the FDA has approved. Many companies, though their
lifetime, will only develop 3-4 products that are viable and feasible. BARDA
has developed 27 products since 2007. In addition, they are currently working
on manufacturing in-house diagnostic systems, panacea to disease, combat drug
resistant disease, reusable ppe. These products would greatly impact the public
as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment could function at a significantly lower
price. Her research is in the interest of all medical professions and will
impact many people around the globe.
Ms. Shayne Brannman serves as the director for TRACIE (Technical
Resources Assistance Center & Information Exchange) which is a novel
program that has been in place for around 18 months. In Ms. Brannman’s short
presentation, she was able to briefly explain how TRACIE serves as a resource
for healthcare professionals and emergency response teams. They provide a
database of the most useful articles and plans (deemed per the review of many
credible and experts of emergency preparedness response).
Captain Spires, the Executive Director for 2 federal advisory
committees, is currently a US Public Health Service Commissioned Officer and
Veterinarian. Her presentation was centered around the nexus between clinical
medicine and public health. She shared her passion for “kitten and puppies”
which lead her to pursue her degree in veterinary medicine. However, after a
trip through Operations Crossroads Africa, she said that she realized how vital
animals were to human public health. From that realization, she sought to
integrate the veterinary, “kitten and puppies” side of public health, with
helping others and their closest animal companions. She has worked through
various jobs at the Food and Drug Administration and will be pursuing a new
position working towards creating emergency response policies which integrate
those pet companions who are medically necessary but not service animals to
their owners.
Adding to Captain Spires, Nancy Nurthen described how OEM (Office
of Emergency Management) is using technology to further link public health with
people. She discussed about GeoHEALTH, a program used to target at risk
individuals during an emergency. She talked about the use of technology to
provide medical care, help state and local communities become closer, linking
partners to resources, and connecting responders to real time data.
Furthermore, she is able to use filters on social media platforms such as
twitter in order to find what is trending. For example, during hurricane Sandy,
she was able to isolate a single tweet from six million to find the needs of a
New York hospital. These technological resources are further bringing public
health closer to the American people. This technology helps especially with the
efficient distribution of health professionals and medical resources.
Finally, Okey K. Enyia discussed with the scholars about
understanding the best way to maximize and leverage the space we worked in. He
explained how this will be very important during the time on Capitol Hill
tomorrow. He explained the 5P’s: Policy, Politics (internal and external),
Personalities, Press, and Process. Mr. Enyia expanded on these topics and
educated the scholars on how 90% of successful Capitol Hill meetings are about
how one builds the relationship, empowering the staffer, convincing them to
trust your perspective (be fluent in what you are speaking on) and how you
deliver your message.
From today’s various speakers, we could reflect upon the value of
resilience as future public health leaders and what vital measures communities
need to rebound from tragedies.
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