Cohort members were asked to come up with a dance as part of a team-building activity
Winter 2015
APHL's National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership, in partnership with the Global Health Program, has taken its Emerging Leader Program (ELP) global. The ELP program made its international debut in Lesotho with a group of 10 laboratorians.
“We’ve actually found that many of the challenges facing PHLs domestically are the same facing laboratories in Lesotho. Recruitment, retention, streamlining processes and decreasing the turnaround time for certain tests… all are relevant to lab professionals in Lesotho and in the US,” says Kajari Shah, ELP Manager.
The program launched in July at a three-day introductory session where participants learned about leadership fundamentals, operational and strategic planning, and project development. Current activities focus on two projects that address challenges to Lesotho’s laboratory system: 1) a formal proposal to increase specialized training for the laboratory workforce and 2) a white paper identifying gaps and bottlenecks in supply chain management and recommending areas for improvement.
Coaching Pairs Current & Former Grads
To ensure ongoing support for participants, a coaching program pairs each participant with a former ELP graduate from the US. Coaches assist their partners with his or her ELP project, workplace issues and leadership development.
“Coaching is an important part of being a leader and developing these skills takes time and experience,” said Marie-Claire Rowlinson, assistant laboratory director at the Florida Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Jacksonville, an ELP graduate and current coach. “Helping to support the Lesotho ELP through coaching has helped me learn more non-laboratory skills, such as leadership, management and effective communication. I hope to share these skills with my partner."
APHL plans to sponsor other leadership development programs in international settings, pending funding support.
100% of the funding for this project came from federal sources.
For more information contact, Pandora Ray Director, NCPHLL, 240.485.3825,
pandora.ray@aphl.org