Region IV PHTC Public Health and Primary Care Leadership Institute

The Region IV Public Health Training Center, headquartered at Emory University, has partnered with the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia to offer the Region IV Public Health and Primary Care Leadership Institute (PHPC LI). The PHPC LI provides training for emerging leaders who work in state, local, or tribal public health departments/tribal health organizations or in FQHCs/FQHC Look-Alikes in the eight states that comprise HHS Region IV (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee).

2024-2025 PHPC LI Fellows

applications are open for the 2026-2027 cohort!

Application deadline is June 30, 2026.

HOW TO APPLY

Review the Overview document (link opens in new window) thoroughly.

Ask your Supervisor to complete the Supervisor Endorsement Form (link opens in new window). Ensure the form includes their handwritten or typed signature and the date.

Complete the PHPC Leadership Institute application (link opens in new window). Plan to complete the entire application in one sitting. Note this is a competitive selection process. Please be thoughtful and detailed in your application.

Upload all required documents. Submit your resume and the signed Supervisor Endorsement Form as Word or PDF files. Include your full name in both filenames (e.g., FirstLastName_Resume, FirstLastName_Supervisor).

PROGRAM DETAILS AND DESIGN

The PHPC LI is an 8-month virtual experience providing 40 contact hours of interaction consisting of the following:

Orientation session
Multi-day opening retreat
6 monthly sessions that last 2 hours each
2 hours of intersession work between each session

Zoom video conferencing technology is used for the sessions.

Orientation: Introductions, community agreements, and an overview of the tools and topics for PHPC LI. This session is critical for setting the cohort for success!

SESSION 1: OPENING RETREAT: Topics covered include our leadership perspectives, emergencies, adaptive and technical leadership, and peer consulting.

SESSION 2: LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: This session focuses on identifying the principles and practices of effective leaders and how they might guide leaders in the field of public health.

SESSION 3: CULTURAL COMPETENCE: Building trust and credibility in different cultural contexts is critical to the success of leaders at the interpersonal and organizational level. This session focuses on recognizing how culture operates by framing perceptions and shaping choices.

SESSION 4: MANAGING CONFLICT: Conflict is a natural and necessary part of life. This session focuses on how effective leaders can develop a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of ways to manage conflict.

SESSION 5: COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP: Public health leadership relies heavily on building teams and dynamic networks across various stakeholder groups. This session focuses on group decision-making strategies and the continuum of participation in collaborative leadership endeavors.

SESSION 6: LEADING CHANGE: This session will take the concepts in the Collaborative Leadership session a step further to focus on how leaders in public health work at various levels of collaboration to lead change efforts that include a variety of stakeholder groups.

SESSION 7: REPORT, REFLECT, GRADUATE: This virtual graduation session will focus on lessons learned and final reports, as well as the celebration of accomplishments and articulation of next steps.

PROGRAM GOAL AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The goal of the PHPC LI is to advance adaptive and strategic leadership skills to support multi-sector vision setting and leadership necessary to address the social, community-based, and economic determinants of health.

By the end of the Leadership Institute, Fellows will be able to:

Identify personal leadership skills
Address a leadership challenge through a self-directed adaptive approach
Engage in peer consulting with Region IV colleagues
Apply leadership competencies in the context of public health and primary care

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Emerging public health and primary care leaders who:

Work in governmental state, local, or tribal public health departments, tribal health organizations, or FQHCs/FQHC Look-Alikes
Work in one of the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee
Manage programs, supervise staff, and/or demonstrate leadership potential
Work with underserved populations and/or are from under-resourced health departments or FQHCs/FQHC Look-Alikes

PHPC-LI ALUMNI NETWORK

After participating in the Public Health and Primary Care Leadership Institute (PHPC-LI), graduates join a growing network of alumni committed to advancing leadership in public health.

Meet the PHPC LI Alumni

PHPC-LI Alumni Board

Alumni have the opportunity to further their engagement by serving on the PHPC-LI Alumni Board, which plans activities such as quarterly meetings, an annual retreat, and other ongoing networking and professional development opportunities. Through continued engagement and collaboration, the Board works to strengthen the impact of PHPC-LI alumni across the public health field.