Developing health care leaders. The National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) works to assure that high quality, relevant and accountable leadership is available to meet the challenges of delivering quality patient healthcare in the 21st century. NCHL helps develop leaders in all areas of the health care sector: health care delivery, insurance, suppliers, public policy, government, trade associations and academic institutions.
With RWJF's support, the Center:
- Developed a set of competencies for outstanding health care leadership.
- Developed a six-month experiential training for senior executive teams.
- Formed a network of health care systems committed to fostering the skills and behaviors required for high-performing, effective health care leaders in various stages of their careers and across the disciplines of administration, medicine and nursing. (See Program Results on ID# 049126.)
Developing scholarly physician leaders. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program provides postdoctoral training for young physicians interested in research and leadership careers in health policy and academic medicine. The program produces scholarly physician leaders with the understanding and skills necessary to have a major influence on health care policy, and to help create and build the field of health services research. Begun in 1972, CSP is RWJF's oldest national program. As of June 2007 the program had produced 1,042 scholars. Graduates have gone on to become government health agencies directors, hospital CEOs and leaders in the field of health services research and health economics. (See Program Results on Clinical Scholars Program.)
Developing health policy leaders. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows Program brings six to eight mid-career health professionals and behavioral and social scientists with an interest in health to Washington each year. Fellows take part in the health policy process at the federal level through their work on both sides of the aisle in Congress, in the White House and in federal agencies. Fellows actively contribute to the formulation of national health policies and accelerate their careers as leaders in health policy. HPFP is the second-oldest and the second longest-running program of RWJF.
As of fall 2006, 201 fellows (eight now deceased) from more than 100 health-related organizations have participated in the Health Policy Fellows Program. Four evaluations of the program have found it successful in providing mid-career professionals with an intense exposure to the federal policy process. In a 2006 evaluation report, fellows described their experience as "life-changing" and transformational. (See Program Results on the Health Policy Fellows Program.)
Developing physician faculty scholars. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars program provides fellowships to junior medical school faculty in the fields of health policy research, epidemiology, health services research and community-based research. These talented young scholars gain protected time for research, mentorship from national and local leaders and the opportunity to network with other PFSP Scholars. (See the Physician Faculty Scholars Web site.)
Developing minority medical faculty. The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program seeks to increase the number of faculty from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who can achieve senior rank in academic medicine and who will encourage and foster the development of succeeding classes of such physicians. The program, which is over 20 years old, has awarded over 140 fellowships. Scholars receive a stipend complemented by a grant to conduct research with a senior faculty member who acts as a mentor. Most of the program's alumni are still in academic medicine, and many have gone on to win awards and serve in a variety of leadership capacities. (See Program Results on Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program.)
Developing nursing leaders. The Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows program is a leadership development program designed to prepare a select cadre of registered nurses who are in senior executive positions for influential roles in shaping the U.S. health care system of the future. Begun in 1997, the program provides three-year fellowships to promising nurse leaders to create individual projects at their home institution. A 2000 evaluation of the program found "unanimous agreement about the general efficacy of the program" and concluded it was superior in many respects to other leadership programs. A follow-up evaluation in 2002 reported that ENF "has established a solid foundation and strong reputation." (See Program Results on Executive Nurse Fellows.)
Developing leaders to reduce substance abuse. The Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse national program was designed to create a cadre of new substance abuse leaders, particularly people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, varied professional and personal backgrounds and a variety of fields including public policy, public health and journalism. Over a three-year period, the program awarded fellowships to 40 promising leaders in the field of substance abuse prevention, treatment and policy. Each fellow received guidance and direction from an experienced substance abuse leader. Fellows have said that the experience gave them greater self-confidence, a clearer understanding of their own motivation and skills, and a renewed commitment to the substance abuse disorder field. Several fellows were asked to serve on task forces and review committees for national organizations and institutes. (See Program Results on Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse.)
Developing public health leaders. The purpose of the State Health Leadership Initiative is to accelerate the development of the leadership capacity of state health officials as policy-makers, administrators and advocates for the health of the public. The program provides a flexible package of training, mentoring and other support to selected newly appointed state health officials. (See the State Health Leadership Initiative Web site.)
Recognizing community leaders. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders program (CHL) recognizes individuals who are making contributions to improving health and health care in their communities. Through $125,000 awards to their organizations, CHL annually honors 10 unsung and unusually resourceful people working in communities across the country to improve health and access to care for underserved and often disenfranchised populations. The award is comprised of $105,000 for the initiative or project and $20,000 to the leader for personal development. In 2007 the program began to stress the leadership development of CHL award winners. (See Program Results on Community Health Leaders.)
Developing tobacco control advocates. See Program Results on ID# 031989.
Other Relevant Program Results
See Program Results from these other efforts to develop health care leaders:
- Leadership training for community health workers. (ID# 035810 and ID# 051342).
- A conference on effective leadership development in public health (ID# 030456).
- The creation of a professional association to provide professional development and leadership training opportunities for chiefs of general internal medicine (ID# 040326).
- A fellowship program that inspired state policy-makers to make long-term-care reforms in their states (ID# 048829).
- A training program to improve the management competency of public health professionals (ID# 033489 and ID# 045930).
- A handbook for evaluating leadership development programs (ID# 052232).