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1. Public Health Careers Growing In Georgia
2. Georgia and Biomedical Research: A Bright Career Path
3. Commitment and Follow-through in Healthcare
4. Cultivating Leadership in Healthcare: a New Year's Resolution

Public Health Careers Growing In Georgia
Amri B. Johnson, CEO

Last week was national public health week, the week when health professionals work even harder pushing their messages of health promotion and disease prevention. The core functions of public health revolve around efforts that address the physical, mental and environmental health concerns of communities and populations . With such a large responsibility to protect the health of the populations, public health is a field with endless career opportunities.

Public health professionals range from tuberculosis outreach workers and school health coordinators, to health policy analysts and nurse informatics specialists.

Many public health jobs require only a bachelor's degree; however, there are certain positions that call for advanced training. If you are in the market for a Master's in Public Health (M.P.H.) Georgia is the place, more so now than ever before. Before this year there was one accredited school of Public Health (Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University) and three public health programs at Fort Valley State, Mercer School of Medicine, and Morehouse School of Medicine.

In January, the Georgia Board of Regents approved the creation of a new school of public health at Georgia Southern University and three new public health academic programs at the University of Georgia, Georgia State, and the Medical College of Georgia.

These new programs are aimed at expanding the production of high-quality public health professionals. [See the entire story by clicking the link here http://www.usg.edu/news/2004/011404-3.phtml. As the need for quality healthcare workers grows in Georgia, including public health professionals, the demand will be met by existing and new health training programs and schools.

One public health leader calls Atlanta "The Public Health Capitol of the World". As the proliferation of schools of public health and programs expand, that recognition might expand to encompass the entire state of Georgia. So, if you have not considered a career in public health, even if you have, now is the time to learn about the wonderful opportunities to be a part of Georgia's public health workforce. You can do so by visiting the links below. Good Luck!

•Rollins School of Public Health http://www.sph.emory.edu

•MercerUniveristy http://medicine.mercer.edu/programs/graduate/mph/default.htm

•Fort Valley State University http://www.fvsu.edu/cogsee/ms_ph.asp

•Morehouse School of Medicine http://www.msm.edu/mph/index.htm

•Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development http://www.ascd.org/health_in_education/092000/career.html

•Association of Schools of Public Health http://www.asph.org

Georgia and Biomedical Research: A Bright Career Path
Amri B. Johnson, CEO

Have you ever considered a career in the biomedical sciences? If so, Georgia can work for you. As home to more than 200 biomedical sciences companies and several universities, various government and private non-profit institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Georgia Cancer coalition respectively, Georgia’s biomedical research industry provides well over 20,000 jobs to the economy.

Careers in the biomedical science and research vary and provide opportunities for many who are interested in their pursuit. From a chemist or other scientist to an IT specialist, the biomedical sciences industry may have something for you. Careers in the biomedical sciences include: biostatisticians, molecular geneticists, medical informatics, laboratory scientists and assistants, clinical research associates, clinical research coordinators, medical writers, environmental scientists, business development, regulatory affairs, and many others. And while these titles are typical of many traditional health care careers, health professionals trained traditionally are usually a good fit for these jobs. For example, many nurses have careers as clinical research coordinators or clinical research associates and a biologist may find herself working in business development. Biomedical research presents options for someone trained traditionally and looking to broaden or diversify their career experiences as well as someone interested in entering into a health related career outside of traditional routes.

With a great deal of resources committed to biomedical science (including $350 million by the and research by the Georgia Research Alliance and $400 million through the Georgia Cancer Coalition) along with increasing demand for new therapies and technologies, analysts predict that in Georgia, bioscience can be a more than $200 billion industry by 2010.

While the need for new for cutting edge health care technological solutions grows, so grows the need for people who contribute to the development of these solutions. If you would like to be part of the groundbreaking research taking in place in Georgia, the following links can point you in that direction.

http://www.atlantabioscience.com/
http://www.cancer.org
http://www.gra.org
http://www.atlantahighered.org/
http://www.gabio.org

Commitment and Follow-through in Healthcare
Amri B. Johnson, CEO

When we look at the variety of definitions for the word "commitment" we find descriptive words such as loyalty, responsibility, trust, values, decision, devotion, and purpose. Indeed these words stand at the root of our commitment to whatever we decide we are committed to. It is likely that one of these words relates to the task we embark upon where commitment is concerned.

Many of us have plans to "make a difference" this year in our health-related work. For some, our plans are rooted in an emotional response to a set of circumstances. For others, we have been planning for so long that our plans this year are part of a continuum in a planning process. The depth in each of our commitments varies based on the motivation by which the decision was made.

On the job, particularly in health care, regardless of the nature of our work, commitment is a must. Whether we are committing to a research question, the clients we provide direct care, or to the staff we manage, the level of commitment is relative to the level of service.

Commitment and follow-through for each of us will depend on our decisions. Let's examine four decisions that can help us understand and sustain our commitments:

1) Decide that your commitments are for you and not for others: This may sound selfish or self-centered at first as health professionals are "supposed to be" focused on their clients. If we make a decision that we are committed because something is personally valued (i.e. giving the best to those we serve), the responsibility is ours. It is our commitment, so it is our responsibility and no one else can take the credit or the blame for success or failure except ourselves.

2) Decide that commitment will be based on values. Most of us believe in the values of honor, trustworthiness, responsibility, loyalty, and dedication. (They are the cornerstones of good health care practice). Understanding our values and following through with them sustains our decision(s) to be committed.

3) Decide that challenges and successes are both needed. The greatest understanding of what we value comes through adversity. When we make a commitment to something, be it learning a new approach to patient care or improving customer service in a facility, challenges will come. Our true understanding of commitment emerges through challenges. Embrace challenges the same as the success.

4) Decide that all commitments are purposeful. In the midst of challenges that emerge from our commitments we can lose track of the decision that led us to engage in those commitments. When we make decisions to commit to something, particularly where the health of the populations we serve are concerned, we have to know that they are purposeful and meaningful. Around the core of our values--that affect our decisions-- which determine our commitments--is our attitude. Resolve to consistently visit attitude as you take your commitment and follow-through towards excellence..

Cultivating Leadership in Healthcare: a New Year's Resolution
Amri B. Johnson, CEO

As we make the transition into a new year, it is likely that many of us will begin to consider what our goals, aspirations, plans, challenges, opportunities, and/or resolutions will be for the New Year. This is a time of introspection and reflection about what we would like to see manifest itself in our near or longer-term futures.
One of my on-going resolutions is to be a better leader. The questions I ask myself include: What have I learned from my recent experiences together with past experiences that allow me to lead better? How can apply the lessons learned? What things am I learning about myself in order to be the best leader I can be?

Moving into a new year, one of my goals has been to understand leadership from a health professional's perspective. My questions include: What are the characteristics of a leader in healthcare? Are there distinctions between health leadership and leadership? How can cultivating leadership help transform healthcare organizations and improve health outcomes? I will briefly touch on the answers I have so far.

Healthcare Leaders by the nature of our profession must take a broader look at the leadership we provide. Leadership in some arenas and organizations is seen as a phenomenon that occurs within a group of executives or highest-level positions. People in these positions are vital to organizational functioning, but are only a small percentage of the leadership needed. Leadership's definition in health and healthcare must include representation every individual that could potentially touch a person's life. From non-health focused community-based organizations to a local nurse practitioner, leadership in health must be cultivated.

Effective leadership in health is no different than any other type. If a distinction exists between health leadership and general leadership, it would be that a leader in health would do well by having at least a glimpse of how healthcare affects everyone in different ways. While a CEO and HR director of a company are dealing with health insurance and worker's compensation respectively, a health educator is focused on the most meaningful way of sharing information for action. Both are vital in the healthcare picture and both can lead effectively. Effective leaders create the environment for change by synthesizing informational assets and people with diverse backgrounds and strengths.

Leadership for healthcare transformation. Change is not imposed, it is processed by all who are affected by it or it does not occur. A thoughtful leader provides the tools for change. For health and healthcare transformation, the process of change must include a broad definition of who a leader is and a concerted effort to identify and cultivate leadership in the myriad areas where leadership is needed. Effective leaders, speaking on behalf of the broadest of constituencies, hold a vision that places value on all perspectives in the healthcare puzzle from cost containment to community wellness. Health outcomes negative and positive are individual, institutional/organizational, and system-wide. Leaders who intimately interact with people at each of these levels are at the root of healthcare transformation.

Leadership cultivation (for yourself and those you work with), however you define it, is in my opinion one great New Year's resolution. I hope you make it one of yours.

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