UTHSCT Dean Releases New Chapter For Textbook
April 23, 2019
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler’s (UTHSCT) Dr. Gerald R. Ledlow, Dean for the School of Community and Rural Health, released a mid-edition chapter to the third edition of his textbook, Leadership for Health Professionals: Theory, Skills and Applications. The book, co-authored with James H. Stephens, is used for graduate degrees in health administration, allied health, nursing, medicine, and public health. The text is currently used in over 350 graduate programs in the United States. It has earned a five-star review and scored 100 out of 100 from Doody’s Review, a textbook review organization. Leadership for Health Professionals: Theory, Skills and Applications is Dr. Ledlow’s ninth published book. He is currently working on his 10th book with a small group of co-authors.
Leadership for Health Professionals: Theory, Skills, and Applications is the first textbook of its kind to apply classical knowledge of leadership theory and time-honored best practices of industry leaders to a health organization context. This comprehensive text offers insight for administrators and leaders in the health field by providing a foundation for the study of leadership practice and theory, but also for the broader concept of leading people and health organizations across multiple interconnected disciplines. Additionally, it bridges theory and abstract concepts of leadership with the practical and concrete operational behaviors and actions of leaders, walking students through the complexity of leadership in healthcare.
The new chapter, Leadership and Advocacy: Complementary Roles to Create Change, was authored by two UTHSCT students Dr. Valerie Smith and Kinsey Jeffers, Dr. Michael H. Kennedy, UTHSCT professor, and Dr. Gerald H. Ledlow. The new chapter discusses the health leader’s role in advocacy outside of the organizations where they serve and lead. The chapter focuses on advocacy that can lead to change through legislative action and implementation. The addition describes advocacy in the health industry that prompts change in the sector and society, as well as explains how health leaders can be catalysts for reform and policy change. The chapter demonstrates how an applicable model of advocacy can be utilized from problem identification, to support, to legislative action, to rule making, to implementation in order to improve efficiency, effectiveness, performance, and efficacy of health services, healthcare delivery, or improved community health status. Additionally, it compares and contrasts stakeholder groups’ power, influence, and incentives, as well as assists in the identification process. Moreover, it categorizes health leaders’ power and influence in advocacy of an issue and how power and influence transform in the cycle of change.