Dr. Stephanie Bailey on Leading Organizational Change
by Ed Baker, MD, MPH, MSc
This series of video interviews with public health leaders is related to topics discussed in columns in the JPHMP series, The Management Moment. These brief interviews provide tips on putting into practice information from these columns.
When I’m in the presence of Dr. Stephanie Bailey, I know that I will feel the warmth and joy she radiates to all who have the privilege of knowing her. As she noted in our 2008 conversation, her journey began in Denton, Maryland (which she described in a recent documentary [1]). She then progressed to local public health leadership as Director of the Nashville Metropolitan Public Health Department. During that time, she was called to serve at the national level as President of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and then later on to CDC as the Chief of Public Health Practice. She now serves as Senior Associate Dean of Public Health Practice at Meharry Medical College and she has recently returned to the Nashville Public Health Department to provide inspirational leadership during the COVID pandemic.
In this interview, Dr. Bailey describes:
- Core values and the influences that have shaped her leadership philosophy
- Leading Organizational Change
- The Desired Attributes of a Leadership Team [2]
- Working in the Community to Promote Health
- Work Life Balance and Renewal
I invite you to listen in and to reflect on Dr. Bailey’s words of wisdom. I know you will, as I did, enjoy the experience and be enriched by it.
References
- Bailey S. Through My Father’s Eye. Documentary. Accessed on Jan.5, 2021 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMqN7cn9GKM
- Baker EL. Leadership and Management – Guiding Principles, Best Practices and Core Attributes. J Public Health Manag Practice. 2014. 20 (3). 356-357.
Read other posts in this series:
- Dr. Leah Devlin on Public Health Leadership
- Dr. Bill Foege on the Practice of Leadership in Public Health
- Crafting Richer Messages and Being More Credible Messengers
- State Health Officials–Defining Success and Identifying Critical Success Factors
- Introducing Management Moments: An Interview with Gene Matthews, JD
Author Profile

- Dr. Edward L. Baker, currently serves as Adjunct Professor at UNC, Harvard and Indiana University schools of public health Previously, he served as Director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at UNC, Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service, Director of CDC’s Public Heath Practice Program Office, Deputy Director of NIOSH, and Associate Professor of Occupational Health at Harvard.
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