Ethical Leadership Paper
Leading with Purpose in Rural Public Health – An Ethical Leadership Paper
Management is the art of doing the “next thing right.” Leadership is about doing the “next right thing.” Interestingly, leaders of corporations might be found to be ethically and even legally culpable for failing to maximize profits, even if the decisions are in the interest of the some other virtue. Does the same hold true for public health leaders? Is the most fundamental imperative to maximize health at all costs? To what extent should leaders in public health balance concerns beyond health in order to lead in an ethical manner? Or, on the other hand, is the most ethical behavior of a public health leader to develop policies, enforce policies, and ensure practices that singularly focus on the prevention of disease and injury?
In the first week of the course, Rothstein and Gostin offered competing visions of public health. In further study, we have compared consequentialist and non-consequentialist approaches to ethical decision-making. In a piece about blame and disease, Wikler pushed readers to consider the notion of responsibility and culpability as it relates to health. In the ethical leadership paper, your task is to draw from these readings and craft a coherent argument for public health leadership that addresses following:
Ethical leadership that steers public health systems towards the appropriate vision of public health’s scope.
An indication of whether utilitarianism, deontology, principlism, or virtue ethics offer the most appropriate ethical approach for leaders in public health.
An articulation of the bounds of responsibility along multiple dimensions: (a) the responsibility of a public health leader, (b) the responsibility of a public health organization/system, (c) the responsibility of the broader community, and (d) the responsibility of the individual.
In service to these goals, your paper should do the following:
Present an ethical dilemma faced by public health leaders.
Briefly summarize the details of the case
Identify the two alternatives embedded in the dilemma, without yet resolving (choosing)
Choose an approach.
Outline briefly the considerations that would be necessary given the spectrum of different ethical approaches.
Articulate a thorough consideration of the ethical requirements of a single approach within that spectrum.
Situate the decision within the responsibility and scope of public health.
Evaluate the layers of responsibility that impact ethical decision-making and leadership in this case.
Expand this case as an example of the appropriate scope of public health writ large.
Persuasively argue for the ethical course of action for a public health leader who is presented with this dilemma.
Choose a specific course of action as the logical conclusion of the application of your approach (#3) IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT INVENT A “THIRD WAY.” CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS AS PRESENTED TO YOU AND PROVIDE THE RATIONALE FOR THAT DECISION.
Explain how in this case and in similar cases your recommended approach would be a reliable guide for public health leaders.
CHOOSE A DILEMMA
Select one of the following dilemmas to use as a “launching pad” for your discussion about ethical leadership in public health:
As director of a local Public Health Department, you are contacted by a local newspaper reporter for comment about the role of climate change on the health of the community. While you are well aware of the negative impacts of climate change on the health of communities—particularly vulnerable populations in rural communities—you are also aware that the majority of county commissioners are deeply committed to political positions that include the denial of climate change. Should you reply that you have “no comment” in order to avoid the controversy (and the potential negative impact on the allocation of local resources to your department) or should you make a comment that highlights the need for action to address climate change in order to protect the health of the community in the future?
As the health education supervisor in a rural county, you have very limited resources for printing educational materials. You are approached by a local soda company that has is willing to donate the funds for printing “Eat Smart” brochures to be distributed at local schools, with the stipulation that the brochures include the logo of the soda company. You are aware that the bottling factory employers many people in town, but you are also aware that nearly 35% of local children are overweight and that most children in the community consume soda regularly.
Should you refuse the soda company’s funding in an effort to avoid sending children and families mixed messages about the healthfulness of soda? Or, should you accept the logo in exchange for the opportunity to send health education materials to many more people?
As a member of the Board of Health, you are approached by a county official who seeks to re-route local funding for condom distribution and comprehensive sexuality education out of the school system to the local health department.
You know that the funds will be used less comprehensively with this arrangement because of the tiny percentage of youth who receive services or attend educational activities at the health department as compared with the public school system. On the other hand, the Board of Health & Health Director are considering a reduction in the health education staff and this plan would help save one of the health educator positions.
Maintaining the health educator would allow for the continuation of a number of health promotion activities. Should you accept the funds and preserve the health educator position or should you urge the county official to continue to fund the more comprehensive program within the school system.
Your paper should be 1200-1500 words. The paper should be written in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Therefore, the paper should be roughly 5-6 pages in length
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