Tami Dillman, Amy Walters, Tonya Perkins and Trisha Jungels, Team 21st Century Visioneers were selected to participate in the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NLAPH is a national program focused on improving population health by working with multi-sector leadership teams and training the teams through an applied, team-based collaborative leadership development model. The program is implemented by the Center for Health Leadership and Practice (CHLP), a center of the Public Health Institute (PHI) and will provide training and support for a period of one year.
“This program will impact population health teams with the skills to lead and solve complex population health problems in innovative ways,” said Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH, vice president for external relations and CHLP’s director. “These leaders will ultimately drive critical efforts, such as the adoption of evidence-based policies and practices at the community level, which can impact on health outcomes.”
The 21st Century Visioneers team will work on an applied health leadership project that tackles an important population health issue with the goal of improving public health outcomes. Stutsman County currently ranks 31 out of 49 among all counties in North Dakota according to the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program. The County Health Rankings & Roadmap helps communities create solutions known to affect health. The 21st Century Visioneers will focus on health, behavior and physical inactivity. Twenty-eight percent of adults in Stutsman County report with North Dakota report spending no time on leisurely physical activity. That compares to 23 percent of adults in North Dakota and 21 percent in the United States.
The 21st Century Visioneers will focus on reducing barriers to physical activity. Desired outcomes of the project are to develop a community bike fleet, sustain TRAC scholarships and to convene a group/committee to improve transportation.
“The Public Health Leadership Program will benefit Stutsman County by providing leadership tools necessary to promote a healthy community. A healthy community is one in which local groups from all parts of the community work together to prevent disease and make healthy living options accessible. Working at the community level to promote healthy living brings the greatest health benefits to the greatest number of people. Often, this also means it is safe and easy to walk, bike and play in parks and community spaces,” said Trisha Jungels, JRMC Chief Nursing Officer.
NLAPH will provide training and support to assist the team in successfully addressing barriers to physical activity.
Training and support will focus on two tracks. The first is the development of leadership skills, including personal and collaborative leadership in a multi-sector environment. The second emphasizes growth from team-based collaborative work to policy and systems change. NLAPH is provided at no cost to the participants or the community.
For more information, contact: Tami Dillman, team leader, finance director, Central Valley Health District.