CDC chooses PHI's CHLP for new national leadership development program

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Center for Health Leadership and Practice (CHLP) at the Public Health Institute (PHI) to run a new national program focused on improving community health by developing collaborative, multi-sectoral leadership teams across the country. CHLP was chosen as the sole grantee from a highly competitive group of leading public health organizations and academic institutions from around the United States.

"Strong and competent leadership is absolutely critical if we are to solve the myriad public health challenges we face today," said Mary A. Pittman, DrPH, president and CEO of PHI. "I commend the CDC for making leadership development a priority. I know that CHLP, a pioneer in developing public health leaders for 20 years, is the ideal organization to spearhead this exciting national effort."

CHLP enters into a three-year cooperative agreement with the CDC on September 1, 2011, with guaranteed funding of $1.25 million in the first year. Under the agreement, CHLP will assemble, train and provide technical assistance to at least 20 local teams from around the nation working on community health improvement projects. Team members will be drawn from multiple sectors – including government, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and health care – and will be trained in applied, team-based and collaborative leadership development.

"This program will provide a new generation of public health leaders with the skills to lead across sectors and collaboratively solve complex community health problems in innovative ways," said Carol Woltring, MPH, executive director of CHLP since its founding in 1991. "These are the types of leaders who will ultimately be able to drive critical efforts, such as the adoption of evidence-based policies and practices at the community level, which can have a tangible impact on health outcomes."

CHLP will partner with premier public health and leadership development organizations from across the country to implement the program, including PHI's Center for Civic Partnerships (Sacramento, Calif.), Prevention Institute (Oakland, Calif.), the Genius Group (Atlanta, Ga.), PolicyLink (Oakland, Calif.) and the Center for Community Health and Evaluation (Seattle, Wash.).