The Public Health Foundation (PHF) can help your community address lead poisoning and reduce exposures to lead. We work with jurisdictions of all sizes to reduce risks and tackle extensive, sometimes complicated issues, such as childhood lead poisoning. Our assembled team of childhood lead poisoning prevention program experts is available to help your community.
24 million homes in the U.S. contain deteriorated lead-based paint and elevated levels of lead-contaminated house dust, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 4 million of these are home to young children.1 The presence of heavy metal particles in the home environment can lead to reduced brain development and function, decreased IQ and academic achievement, and a range of behavioral issues such as learning disabilities and increased delinquency.2
Public Health Foundation Lead Program Expert Team
Our team has years of experience and expertise in auditing, assessing, and improving program and organizational performance.
PHF team members have experience with:
- Leading state and local health departments
- Managing risk
- Developing, implementing, and improving health department programs
- Engaging teams in quality and process improvement
- Communicating with elected officials
- Establishing performance measures and performance management systems
- Collectively providing on-site technical assistance and training to more than 500 health departments
The team also has expert management experience for projects focused on health department program improvement.
Matthew Stefanak, MPH – Lead Program Leadership Expert
During his 25-year tenure as Mahoning County (OH) Health Commissioner, Mr. Stefanak led community efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning in Youngstown, Ohio and surrounding communities in the rust belt. As a result of Mr. Stefanak’s leadership over a 17-year period, childhood lead poisoning cases declined by 95% between 1995 and 2012. A retired Naval officer, Mr. Stefanak brings particular expertise in environmental risk assessment and abatement best practices.
Margaret Anne Vosel, BSN, RN - Process Review and Nursing LeadMs. Vosel oversaw the Alabama Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program as Director of the Women’s and Children’s Health Division for the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). With ADPH for more than 15 years, she performed countless program reviews and federal compliance audits to ensure high-performing health department operations. For the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Ms. Vosel was responsible for reviewing all processes for identifying and responding to elevated blood lead levels, streamlining processes, and identifying targeted opportunities for follow-up. As a public health nurse, Ms. Vosel understands how to build a strong nursing program to address childhood lead exposures most efficiently and effectively.
Leslie Beitsch, MD, JD - Statute, Regulatory, Programmatic Review LeadAs Deputy Secretary for Health at the Florida Department of Health and Commissioner of Health and State Health Officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Dr. Beitsch oversaw lead poisoning prevention programs and ensured high-quality operations using proven performance management and quality improvement methodologies. With more than 30 years of legal experience, Dr. Beitsch provides expertise in reviewing and interpreting legal documents, statutes, and other regulatory compliance matters.
J
ohn Moran, PhD, CQM, CMC, CQIA – Quality Improvement and Performance Management Technical Assistance and Training Lead
Dr. Moran has over 30 years of performance management and quality improvement expertise in developing and delivering training and technical assistance to public health professionals in state, municipal, county, tribal, and territorial health departments working to improve quality, performance, and outcomes of individuals, programs, and organizations.
Amanda McCarty, MS, MBA – Performance Measurement and Management Expert
Ms. McCarty helps agencies improve their performance management systems and delivers performance management training, coaching, and consultations. Ms. McCarty has 16 years of experience in public health performance management, including evaluation, project management, quality improvement, and change leadership in government, corporate, not-for-profit, clinical, and academic settings. She is a subject matter expert in process improvement, program evaluation, and change leadership within public health and healthcare delivery organizations.
Ron Bialek, MPP – Project Direction Lead
Mr. Bialek has more than 35 years of experience in public health practice and academia, leading efforts to improve the quality, performance, and outcomes of public health agencies and systems. He has extensive experience in providing capacity building assistance to build public health infrastructure and improve performance of the workforce and public health agencies at the national, state, and local levels.
Vanessa Lamers, MPH, MESc– Project Management Lead
Ms. Lamers has more than 10 years of expertise in understanding needs and functions of public health professionals, and providing targeted assistance that addresses timely, identified challenges. She has experience in supporting state, municipal, county, tribal, and territorial health department staff to build their capacity and access resources, tools, and training to improve their program and organizational performance and quality. With a background in environmental health, Ms. Lamers has expertise in lead exposures, mitigation activities, and how lead effects human health.
Kathleen Amos, MLIS – Literature/Best Practices Search Lead
As a trained medical librarian with 10 years of workforce development experience, Ms. Amos is the public health literature review expert for PHF. She identifies best practices from state, municipal, county, tribal, and territorial health departments to ensure that programs are as effective and efficient as possible.
PHF’s customized support for your program is specific to the needs of your community and includes one or more of the following components:
- Assessment. Conducting, reviewing, and analyzing health department audits, program information, policies, and case files.
- Gap identification. Comparing current program processes and procedures to best practices, benchmarks, and standards. Identifying process bottlenecks and weaknesses.
- Guiding and consulting. Sharing findings and program improvement recommendations.
- Skill-building. Providing technical assistance and training in key areas.
- Taking action. Assisting with program process redesign, planning, implementation, and communications.
Beyond working with lead programs, PHF's expertise in program improvement can also be adapted to other public health areas and activities.
Looking to improve your childhood lead poisoning prevention program?
Ask us how. Contact Ron Bialek at (202)218-4420 or email rbialek@phf.org to schedule a conversation today.
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