Health Workers Enhance Leadership Skills through Vinson Training
Public health workers across Georgia are adding leadership and management expertise to their skill set through a series of professional development programs offered by the Georgia Public Health Training Center (GPHTC) and led by Institute of Government faculty.
The program marks the first-ever partnership between GPHTC and the Institute to help train professionals in the state Department of Public Health's 18 public health districts.
The GPHTC, based at the University of Georgia's College of Public Health, offers continuing education opportunities for public health workers in Georgia.
Much of the training done by Institute of Government specialists focuses on leadership and management, but includes compliance training for community health practitioners, public health nurses, and environmental health specialists.
Instruction in strategic leadership skills, day-to-day management, customer service, group dynamics, and conflict management is being conducted by Michael Hourihan, Vinson's State Government Program manager. A series of programs for district health workers about grants management and compliance is being led by Tracy Arner, head of the Institute's Financial Management Training Program.
The state's public health districts operate fairly autonomously and schedule sessions with Arner and Hourihan through the GPHTC.
"Each one of these districts is sort of like a mini-business," Hourihan said. "They're the local arm of the state Department of Public Health. We are providing five different kinds of training to the field offices."
The GPHTC contacted the Institute of Government in November when it received a five-year grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to fund additional field training, said Marsha Davis, director of the center. The GPHTC also sponsors training through the UGA School of Social Work and the Colleges of Public Health, Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences.
"It's great for the training center to be at the University of Georgia because we can build on the expertise across campus," said Davis, the college's assistant dean for outreach and engagement. "We bring the best of UGA to the public health workforce."
