Monrovia – The University Of Liberia College Of Health Sciences has graduated 20 students who have completed Health Systems Leadership and Management (HSLM) course at the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine.
Report by Jackson F. Kanneh, [email protected]
The graduates are mainly health practitioners, supervisors and executives who are providing medical services at the Redemption and John F. Kennedy Medical Hospitals.
Speaking Thursday, June 13, during the graduation and certification ceremony, the university’s Vice president for Health Sciences, Dr. Bernice Dahn said the training is intended to build the resilience of graduates to adequately play their roles at senior management levels at aforementioned institutions.
“The training focuses on team-based approached to strengthen and apply new skills through instructor and peer interactions,” Dr. Dahn stated.
According to her, the value of the training is to institutionalize professional health workers in a “clean and competent working environment”, adding that it is “cardinal” to uplifting the country’s health sector.
Dr. Dahn furthered noted that the graduates of the programs are expected to successfully implement quality improvement project in their institutions and earn academic credit which they can apply in a master public health course of study at the University of Liberia.
The health practitioners completed practical field project, which focused on addressing challenges among health workers at the respective health centers.
The senior health practitioners were also trained in different medical skills including developing and applying key leadership and management skills, addressing critical system problems with evidence-based strategies, learning, practicing- effective management and accountable leadership skills at their respective hospital.
Giving the Keynote address at the program, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Country Director Dr. Desmond Williams lauded UL and her implementing partners for the training.
He called on the 20 senior health practitioners to use the training provided by UL school of Medicine to educate and change other health facilities.
According to him, human capacity building is significance in the fight to improve the health sector of Liberia.
“Being an inaugural class carry some responsibility, as you now have a lot to transform other institutions in Liberia.
“The strength of a health system depends on the development of the human capital” Dr. Williams noted.
Speaking earlier UL President Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks extolled Dr. Dahn for the farsighted role play in caring out the training. According to her, the HSLM certificate program is a giant step in transforming the country’s poor health sector.
The UL president also used the occasion to challenge UL leadership on the importance of working to improve the current status of the state-run university.
In a related development, the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine has also launched a new five-year strategic plan aimed at identifying the college goals, prospects and challenges with a focus on the past, present and future.