Supporting public sector leaders to drive transformational change and advance health equity goals.

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Public sector leaders direct a broad range of programs that are pivotal to the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities with diverse identities. These leaders are at the helm of growing state- and territory-led efforts to address gaps in access to care, improve health outcomes, and eliminate long-standing health inequities. However, leaders in state and territorial governments responsible for advancing health equity often work within small teams or even as the sole staff member leading health equity efforts.

Equity Changemakers Institute, created and led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), is a year-long leadership development program to bolster the capacity of public sector leaders who have significant oversight over agency efforts to advance health equity. Equity Changemakers Institute aims to support these leaders in strengthening the skills to manage transformational change and positively impact the health of those who live in their states/territories by:

• Strengthening participants’ knowledge and skills to enhance inclusive leadership and advance an organization’s internal equity strategy;
• Increasing knowledge, approaches, and use of tools and policy levers to advance health equity, reduce disparities in health care, and improve health outcomes;
• Increasing capacity and resiliency to navigate power structures, organizational cultures, and potential resistance while building consensus among a range of stakeholders; and
• Building peer relationships and fostering a network of state and territory leaders overseeing health equity initiatives to better sustain long-term change.

As part of Equity Changemakers Institute, participants:

• Learn and test a competency-based leadership model. Participants receive expert training that follows a competency-based core leadership framework designed for senior executives in the public sector with an expanded curricular focus on inclusive and equity-minded leadership.
• Participate in Key Topics Seminars. Seminars will explore specific aspects of advancing health equity and allow participants to interact with leading health equity experts, gain exposure to emerging evidence and best practices, and explore approaches to better meet the health and social needs of individuals and communities.
• Receive individualized leadership coaching. Each participant will be assigned a leadership coach who will provide one-on-one coaching throughout the program.
• Develop a Leadership Action Plan. Participants will develop a Leadership Action Plan that advances an important strategic initiative that benefits their organization and partnering communities and/or promotes agency health equity priorities.
• Connect with peers in Accountability Networks. These CHCS-led peer sessions will provide an opportunity for participants to connect and support each other in shaping their individual Leadership Action Plans.

Now in its second year, 30 public sector leaders from 20 states — representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experience — have participated in the Equity Changemakers Institute. Learn more about current and past participants.