Professional Education

The Governance Academy at the Center for Public Health Implementation

The US landscape is rapidly evolving, and public health leaders and elected officials are faced with increasingly complex challenges in addressing the needs and concerns of their constituents. Public health stands as a cornerstone of community well-being, requiring informed leadership and strategic decision-making to navigate effectively. A comprehensive professional education program will equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to meet these demands. The goal of CPHI is to enhance public health governance and educate leaders about the intersection of their public roles and public health. 

The Governance Academy at CPHI is designed to provide public health leaders and elected officials with a comprehensive understanding of the historical, governance, and organizational dynamics within the public health system. Through a series of diverse and interactive evidence-based, non-partisan learning environments, the Academy explores key topics related to public health policy, program implementation, leadership, communication, and organizational dynamics. By gaining insights into these critical areas, elected officials will be better equipped to make informed decisions and to advocate for policies that promote the health and well-being of their communities.

Governance Academy programs can be delivered in-person or virtually (synchronous or asynchronous) and are tailored to the needs of an organization. 

KHDA Partnership

In September 2026, the Center for Public Health Implementation will lead a day-long session at the Kentucky Health Departments Association annual retreat. This session explores the intersection of health policy, healthcare financing, and strategic communication. Participants will examine how the historical development of the U.S. health and public health systems, and the political compromises that built them, continues to shape trust, authority, and legitimacy. The session will also analyze how COVID-era decisions, funding constraints, polarization, and new forms of communication have further reshaped public perception.

Using case studies developed by retreat participants, the interactive session equips public health leaders with a practical framework for navigating credibility challenges in real time. Participants will learn how to align message, messenger, policy substance, financing strategy, and institutional context, recognizing that trust is built not only through what is said, but through how strategy, systems, incentives, and values are integrated in practice.

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the historical and political foundations of U.S. health policy in the context of the current environment
2. Design a strategic communications initiative, aligned with policy and financing realities
3. Evaluate how contemporary forces erode or reinforce public health legitimacy and develop tools to improve organizational buy-in and community trust

WALHDAB Partnership

The Center for Public Health Implementation is partnering with the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards (WALHDAB) on their Welcome to Management training program for new public health supervisors. Delivered in eight sessions, the program combines evidence-based leadership development, practical management tools, and applied case studies from Wisconsin public health departments. Each 90-minute session actively engages participants through realistic public health scenarios, facilitated discussion, self-assessments, peer learning, reflection, and application exercises that can be immediately transferred to the workplace. This online, synchronous program launches in October 2026.