Building Leadership for Health
Faculty Director
Elizabeth H. Bradley, Yale School of Public Health
Executive Director
Michael Skonieczny, Yale School of Public Health
Conference Team
Gabriel Forrey, Yale School of Public Health
Erika Linnander, Yale School of Public Health
Jeannie Mantopoulos, Yale School of Public Health
Marcia Mulligan, Yale School of Public Health
Brian Seavey, Yale School of Public Health
Hannah Wheatley, Yale School of Public Health
GHLI Faculty
Achyuta Adhvaryu, Yale School of Public Health
David Berg, Yale School of Medicine
Leslie Curry, Yale School of Public Health
Howard Forman, Yale School of Management and Yale School of Medicine
John Gaddis, Yale University
Charles Hill, Yale University
Paul Kennedy, Yale University
Kaveh Khoshnood, Yale School of Public Health
Harlan Krumholz, Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health
Minh A. Luong, Yale University and Yale School of Management
Jennifer Mattera, Yale School of Public Health
Ingrid Nembhard, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Management
Elijah Paintsil, Yale School of Medicine
Asghar Rastegar, Yale School of Medicine
1
Building Leadership for Health: June 21 – 25, 2010
Conference Overview
The Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI) was launched in 2009 to develop the next generation of
global health leaders at Yale and around the world through innovative educational, training and research
programs. GHLI supports health leaders to improve the performance of health systems through leadership
development, quality improvement programs and health systems research. The Institute is also a center for
debate and progress on leadership and other critical global health issues. The centerpiece of GHLI is the annual
conference, which brings together top global health practitioners to inspire new approaches to health system
strengthening.
At the inaugural conference in June 2009, GHLI hosted health leaders from Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia,
Mexico and Rwanda – five countries that recently accomplished exceptional health-system improvements
despite limited resources. During the conference, delegates first learned the GHLI approach to strategic problem
solving and leadership. Based on these concepts they devised a strategy to overcome a predefined health
problem in their country and an evaluation plan to measure progress. The conference provided delegates with a
new way of thinking about leadership and served as a launching point to implement focused plans to address
the health priorities they identified.
Building on the first conference, the delegations will be invited to return to facilitate progress on each
country’s implementation plan and further refine each delegate’s leadership skills at the second annual
conference, Building Leadership for Health, to be held from June 21 – 25, 2010, at Yale University. During the
week, delegations will continue their work with GHLI faculty on a range of pressing health issues they
identified including reducing maternal mortality - Liberia; improving the quality of clinical care and
management in hospitals – Rwanda; improving hospital management capacity - Ethiopia; and building systems
and processes to promote performance improvement among senior health workers - Ghana. Through
presentations from GHLI faculty at Yale, distinguished experts and facilitated work sessions, delegations will
move forward on their plans to implement focused health system strengthening efforts in their countries.
Based on the GHLI Leadership Curriculum, country delegations will learn and apply new tools for
strategic problem solving to refine their plans. Through peer teaching and learning, delegates will systematically
reflect on what they have accomplished and will share the obstacles and opportunities that they encountered in
implementing their plan, providing an opportunity for other delegations to learn about their successes,
challenges and strategies for overcoming setbacks. In addition to new problem solving tools, the conference will
emphasize the importance of data and evidence-based decision-making and a relational approach to leadership
to devise and implement their plans.
Through classroom learning, facilitated working sessions, and applied experiences, delegates will earn
the distinction of being the first cadre of GHLI Leadership Fellows, a vibrant community of learners that share
experiences and information for the benefit of all GHLI delegates. GHLI Leadership Fellows will also be
connected to other members of the larger GHLI community that participate in the Institute’s country programs.
This network will be supported with web-based tools and other means to stay informed and connected.
Leadership Fellows will also serve as mentors for future GHLI conference participants.
2
Building Leadership for Health: June 21 – 25, 2010
GHLI Leadership Curriculum
The GHLI Leadership Curriculum is guided by a strategic problem-solving model that requires identification of
a targeted problem and core strategies to achieve a defined objective, leadership throughout the process to
implement the selected strategy and the use of data and measurement at all points to support improvement.
Strategic Problem Solving: Promoting Evidence-Based Solutions
Strategic problem solving is a rigorous and systematic approach to finding practical solutions to complex and
multifaceted problems. Building on the inaugural conference, delegates will attain key competencies in:





defining problems and setting objectives;
conducting root cause analyses;
developing, comparing and selecting strategies;
creating implementation plans and managing change; and,
evaluating progress towards meeting objectives.
In addition, delegates will discuss principles of grand strategy - a plan of action that is based on the calculated relation
of means to large ends. Never an exact science, the practice of grand strategy builds on fundamental strategic
principles, but requires flexibility and constant adjustment. In addition to these fundamentals, the conference will
include opportunities for collaborative learning as delegates share their successes and challenges in creating and
implementing a plan based on the problem solving process.
Relational Framework for Leadership: Enhancing Individual and Group Capacity
Working effectively within and among groups is central to implementing a strategy and sustaining positive change in
health systems. The GHLI curriculum focuses on a relational framework for leadership, understanding it as a dynamic
role within a group that can unlock synergies leading to the success of the organization. Drawing on participants’
experiences, delegates will understand and discuss:




the dynamic relationship between leadership and followership roles;
paradox and conflict in healthy organizations and productive groups;
managing inter-group relations and representational groups; and,
power and hierarchy in organizations.
Data and Measurement: Guiding Decision-Making and Improvement
Using accurate data and information to inform decision making is central to achieving progress. The 2010 conference
will familiarize delegates with the integral and complex function of data and information in directing strategic
responses to achieve desired outcomes. Conference lectures and discussions will provide a practical understanding of
using data to measure progress and implement improvements. During the conference, delegates will be exposed to:




developing a holistic understanding of measurement that extends beyond traditional program evaluation;
building capacity and infrastructure to support data-driven decision making;
selecting key indicators that are meaningful and measurable based on available resources; and,
summarizing, using and disseminating data to guide and evaluate performance.
3
Building Leadership for Health – Delegate List
Ethiopian Delegation
Problem statement: “[There exists] poor leadership and management capacity throughout the health delivery system.”
Objective: “To improve management and leadership capacity across all hospitals over the next 3 years.”
Abebaw Derso Amera (Lead)
Medhin Zewdu Tsehaiu
Asrat Genet Amnie
Shallo Dhaba Amusse
Kare Debessa
Gebreab Barnabas
Getnet Mitikie Kassie
Medical Services Directorate, Ministry of Health
Chief of Staff, Ministry of Health
Head, Amhara Regional Health Bureau
Head, Oromia Regional Health Bureau
Head, S.N.N.P. Regional Health Bureau
Head, Tigray Regional Health Bureau
Dean, Addis Ababa School of Public Health
Ghanaian Delegation
Problem statement: “The system for evaluating the performance of the district directors of health services is ineffective.”
Objective: “To develop and implement an effective system to evaluate the performance of district directors.”
Elias Sory (Lead)
McDamien Dedzo
Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira
John Gyapong
Angela Ofori-Atta
Richmond Aryeetey
Director General, Ghana Health Service
Regional Director of Health Service, Ghana Health Service
Director of Human Resources, Ministry of Health
Director of Research and Development, Ghana Health Service
Lecturer (Psychiatry), University of Ghana Medical School
Professor, School of Public Health, University of Ghana
Liberian Delegation
Problem statement: “Weak emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services contribute to high rates of maternal mortality.”
Objective: “To develop a strong and improved EmOC system that serves pregnant women and newborns in 45 health
facilities in catchment communities by June 2010.”
Bernice Dahn (Lead)
Tornorlah Varpilah
Musu Washington
Jennie Bernard
Rhoda Peters
Saygbeh Vanyanbah
Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health
Deputy Minister of Planning, Research and Development, Ministry of Health
Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health
Former Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health
Bomi County Health Officer, Ministry of Health
Grand Bassa County Health Officer, Ministry of Health
Rwandan Delegation
Problem statement: “There are not enough skilled health care workers to meet the health care delivery needs in Rwanda.”
Objective: “To develop skilled health care workers to meet the health care delivery needs in Rwanda.”
Juliet Mbabazi (Lead)
Jean-Baptiste Kakoma
Stephen Karengera
Patrick Kyamanywa
Chief Executive Officer, King Faisal Hospital
Director, School of Public Health
Director of Planning and Capacity-Building, Ministry of Health
Acting Dean of Faculty of Medicine
Building Leadership for Health – Conference Session Summaries
Monday, June 21
Conference Welcome
Michael Skonieczny – Executive Director, GHLI
Elizabeth Bradley – Faculty Director, GHLI; Director, Yale Global Health Initiative
Peter Salovey – Provost, Yale University
Official welcome to the 2010 conference, including a description of the conference theme and the GHLI curriculum.
Yale Provost Peter Salovey will extend an official University welcome and share remarks on the psychology of
leadership, drawing on his expertise in emotional intelligence and leadership.
Keynote and Discussion – Global Health Leadership in a Changing World
Amie Batson – Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID
Ms. Batson will highlight the importance and key principles of global health leadership within the context of complex
geopolitical change. As Director of the Global Health Initiative, Ms. Batson will discuss the Obama Administration’s
six-year, $63-billion program which focuses on improving health through strengthened health systems, with a
particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children. Using the U.S. example,Ms. Batson will
discuss how to leverage limited resources to achieve major improvements in health. A moderated discussion among
delegates will follow.
Connecting Leaders in Health
David Berg – Professor, Yale School of Medicine
Delegates will share and discuss learning experiences related to leadership as well as country plans developed during
the 2009 conference. All participants will have an opportunity to articulate what they hope to contribute and their
expectations for the week. This session will conclude by discussing how to create and maintain connections between
delegates as a GHLI Leadership Fellow.
Delegation Updates – A Year in Review
Each delegation will lead a brief presentation to orient conference participants to their country plan, including
updates, success stories, and issues they would like to pursue during the week. A moderated discussion among
delegates will follow each presentation.
Tuesday, June 22
Initiating, Scaling up and Sustaining Health Initiatives
Elizabeth Bradley – GHLI Faculty Director, Yale School of Public Health
Dr. Bradley will review creation and diffusion of best practices, focusing on key elements necessary for systems
thinking to enable scale up and sustainability. Themes from delegation updates will demonstrate the GHLI
curriculum’s potential to create a framework for innovation and progress.
Work Session 1 – Implementation Workshop
During the first of three work sessions, delegations will work independently to identify areas of focus for the week
related to implementation strategies. Facilitated by a Staff Fellow, work sessions will identify key road blocks and
sharpen strategies for achieving their country’s health system objective. Each delegation will be supported by a Subject
Specialist who will provide technical expertise.
Building Leadership for Health – Conference Session Summaries
Working Across Groups
David Berg – Professor, Yale School of Medicine
This session will focus on inter-group relations and the special demands that come with “representing” a group (i.e.,
function, profession, agency, state, organization). Hierarchical groups, in particular, will be examined, including an
exploration of effective ways to ways to take up roles at the “top” the “bottom” and in the “middle.” Finally, the
session will conclude by examining how “representing” a group necessitates navigating organizational politics.
Cross–Country Roundtable Discussions
Three 45-minute, facilitated roundtable discussions will provide an open forum for delegates to share experiences,
brainstorm ideas, and discuss challenges with their counterparts from each of the four GHLI countries as well as
conference participants. Each session will focus on a different cross-cutting global health issue selected as a result of
delegate interests and feedback.
Wednesday, June 23
Data as Intelligence
Leslie Curry – Professor and Research Scientist, Yale School of Public Health
Harlan Krumholz – Professor, Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health
The first part of a two-part data lecture and workshop series will focus on highlighting the role of data across the
problem-solving and quality-improvement spectrum. Dr. Curry will introduce the importance of data as an integral
component of any healthcare system rather than a programmatic end piece. Dr. Krumholz will further discuss how to
use data as part of the larger national quality agenda to assess healthcare quality, identification of and advocacy for a
quality measure, and the science necessary to support data and research infrastructure.
Work Session 2 – Data Workshop
Yale faculty will conduct a workshop as the second part of the data series. The workshop will explore using data
across the problem-solving spectrum and incorporating it as part of a national quality agenda within each country’s
specific context. Additionally, delegates will identify a measure for use at various levels of government and apply
established criteria to assess quality. The session will also include a discussion of country-specific advocacy
approaches, infrastructure support/gaps, and using data throughout the healthcare system to promote improvement.
Keynote and Discussion – Developing Human Capacity for Health
Pape Gaye – President and CEO, IntraHealth
This session will emphasize the role of an effective healthcare workforce, including methods for developing
professional skills, behaviors and attitudes, and addressing performance gaps. Drawing on his experience at
IntraHealth, Mr. Gaye will share approaches for maximizing effectiveness given current healthcare workforce
challenges. A moderated discussion among delegates will follow.
Building Leadership for Health – Conference Session Summaries
Thursday, June 24
Keynote and Discussion – Resource Mobilization for Health
Christoph Benn – Director, External Relations and Partnerships Cluster, Global Fund
Dr. Benn will apply his experience as the Director for Resource Mobilization at the Global Fund in a session designed
to provide an overview of external resource mobilization in health and targeted expertise to the country-specific issues
raised by the delegates. Dr. Benn will discuss the role of funding mechanisms like the Global Fund, bilateral
organizations and the private sector, providing practical advice on how to sustain a valuable partnership, optimize the
use of available resources, identify new funding streams, and enhance outreach and communication with donors. In
addition, Dr. Benn will offer his insight on the future direction of the Global Fund and how funding priorities might
affect country programs from the delegate perspective. A moderated discussion among delegates will follow.
Work Session 3 – Bringing it Together
This final work session will provide time for delegations to synthesize conference learning and update their plan to
address their problem statement and objective. With their GHLI Staff Fellow, each delegation will create a
PowerPoint presentation to describe their next steps after the conference.
Managing Change in Complex Systems
Patrick Geoghegan – Chief Executive, South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
During Thursday’s closing dinner, Dr. Geoghegan will discuss transformational change at the national level. As the
leader of one of the most successful and highest rated mental health and learning disability organizations in the UK,
Dr. Geoghegan will share remarks about developing and applying creative health service improvement and the
benefits of international partnerships.
Friday, June 25
Keynote and Discussion: The Global Health Leadership Challenge
Tedros Adhanom – Minister of Health, Ethiopia
Drawing upon experience as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Minister Adhanom will describe leadership principles
necessary to understand health issues holistically, recognize the importance of evidence, communicate effectively with
different stakeholders, and promote sustained commitment to improved health outcomes. A moderated discussion
among delegates will follow.
Delegation Reflections – The Year Ahead
David Berg – Professor, Yale School of Medicine
As a capstone to the conference, the delegations will have an opportunity to review the week’s learning and present a
summary of the next steps to move forward with their country plans. In addition, delegates will consolidate their
learning into a useful form that, as individuals and as teams in a new community of Leadership Fellows, will help
sustain learning beyond the conference.
Building Leadership for Health: June 21 – 25, 2010
Conference Schedule
Monday - June 21
Tuesday - June 22
Welcome
Data as Intelligence
Strategic Thinking –
Scale up and Sustainability Lecture
Peter Salovey, Provost
Mike Skonieczny, GHLI Executive Director Elizabeth Bradley
Elizabeth Bradley, GHLI Faculty Director
Yale School of Public Health
8:45 – 9:45
Keynote and Discussion –
Global Health Leadership
in a Changing World
8:30 – 10:00
Work Session 1 –
Wednesday - June 23
Thursday - June 24
Keynote and Discussion –
Work Session 3 –
Leslie Curry, Professor
Bringing it Together
Harlan Krumholz, Professor
Yale Schools of Medicine & Public Health
8:30 - 9:30
Country Delegations
Facilitated by Staff Fellows
Implementation Workshop Data Workshop
Facilitated by Staff Fellows
10:15 – 12:15
9:45 - 12:00
8:45 – 12:00
Opening Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
12:00 – 1:00
12:15 – 1:15
12:00 - 1:00
12:00 – 1:00
Connecting Leaders
in Global Health
Working Across Groups
Keynote and Discussion –
Keynote and Discussion –
David Berg
David Berg, Professor
Yale School of Medicine
1:00 – 3:00
8:30 - 10:00
10:15 - 12:15
Closing Lunch
Richard Levin, President
12:30 - 2:30
Developing Human Resource Resource Mobilization for
Capacity
Health
Pape Gaye, President and CEO
Intrahealth International
1:15 – 3:00
Tedros Adhanom,
Ethiopian Minister of Health
Country Delegate Presentations
Facilitated by David Berg
Country Delegations
Facilitated by Staff Fellows
10:00 – 12:00
The Global Health Leadership
Challenge
Delegation Reflections –
The Year Ahead
Work Session 2 –
Country Delegations
Amie Batson, Deputy Assistant
Administrator for Global Health
USAID
Friday - June 25
1:00 - 3:00
Christoph Benn, Director
External Relations
Global Fund
1:15 – 3:00
Conference Updates –
A Year in Review
Cross-Country
Roundtable Discussions
Delegation Meetings/
Site Visits
Delegation Meetings/
Site Visits
3:15 - 5:15
3:00 – 5:00
3:00 – 5:00
Country Delegate Presentations
Facilitated by Mike Skonieczny
3:15 – 5:00
Closed Sessions
(delegations only)