Although in recent years we have seen substantial progress in disease prevention, as well as improvements in quality of health care, significant gaps still remain. Most notable is the continued failure to eliminate health disparities and there is growing concern about numerous emerging threats to the public’s health and safety.  Now more than ever, it is critical to develop leaders with a command of the key components of public health, including the abilities to assess community health needs, develop innovative policies and programs, and assure that new systems are maintained and improved.

The Public Health Leadership Program is committed to educating and improving the skills of public health practitioners, including public health and occupational health nurses, and physicians with a broad knowledge of disease prevention and community health improvement.  Our mission is to develop leaders in each of these disciplines--leaders with the capabilities and the vision necessary to implement change locally, nationally and globally.

To accomplish this goal the Public Health Leadership Program draws on the strengths of experienced practitioners, both as teachers and students, to provide a unique, collaborative educational experience. Through a combination of traditional classroom and on-line formats, together with practical hands-on experience, we are creating leaders who share a command of the latest technology and the most current public health approaches, and who are practiced at learning from their experiences to create new opportunities for improvement.

Our program offers a customized curriculum which has proven itself not only to meet but to exceed the demands of a broad range of practitioners in public health and medical care. From the beginning, our program has been shaped by feedback from our students and the needs of our communities.  While the health challenges of the future cannot always be predicted, we are confident that our graduates are well prepared to meet them wherever they occur throughout the world.

William A. Sollecito, DrPH
Director, Public Health Leadership Program