Leadership and Capacity Building Strategist The American Institute of Dental Public Health
Disclosure(s):
Stacey Chazin, MS, MDOL: No financial relationships to disclose
Abstract: Objectives: Building competent, effective leaders is crucial to sustaining both the profession of dental public health and the communities that public health professionals serve. Ensuring that dental public health leaders can address the ever-changing needs of the broader population is fundamental to building our public health infrastructure. Despite this critical need, few formal programs exist to build the leadership skills of dental public health professionals.
Methods: Following a needs assessment of oral health professionals in the fall of 2021, the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) identified gaps in leadership training for dental public health professionals and analyzed the core areas of competency required to be an effective leader in this space. In response, AIDPH created the Dental Public Health Leadership Academy (DPHLA), a 12-month program that builds the knowledge, skills, and capacity of early-career dental public health professionals. The DPHLA incorporates didactic and case-based content, thematic exercises, and peer-to-peer learning that support long-term leadership and the implementation of dental public health projects.
Results: Program evaluations and outcome analyses indicate that DPHLA participants feel more equipped to support the evolving needs of the communities, programs, and policies they support. Participants who are grounded in core leadership concepts indicate a desire to remain in the dental public health field long term.
Conclusions: The DPHLA is an effective model of capacity-building and leadership development. DPH professionals who prioritize formal leadership training can approach public health challenges with an equity-oriented lens and ultimately generate a more sustainable future for the DPH profession.
Source of Funding: The American Institute of Dental Public Health
