As a future leader in the field of health care administration, you may face many chronic health threats to various systems. As you work to combat these threats and ensure community wellness, you are likely to become an agent of social change. This objective may be more challenging and critical to achieve in matters such as health emergencies and outbreaks. For leaders, outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics elicit critical and timely attention to situations in health care administration. 

In this week’s article by Gostin, Lucey, & Phelan (2014), the authors highlight the challenges present with an Ebola epidemic on a global scale. Using this Learning Resource from this week as well as 2–4 additional resources you may find from the Walden Library, current events, etc., consider your leadership perspective during an outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic. 

As you collaborate with your group, individually select one of the following leadership roles that would respond during this outbreak: 

• Director, FEMA 
• Director, CDC 
• Governor of an afflicted state 
• Incident Response Commander 
• Response Leader, American Red Cross (or other nongovernmental organization) 
• Health Care Administrator for a large medical center

After selecting your leadership role, use a systems approach to work with your group to establish immediate response in preventing another pandemic. 

The Assignment—Part 1: 

Individual Case Analysis (1–2 pages):

Based on the leadership role you selected for the Assignment, include the following:

• A summary of the leadership challenges this leader would face in assuring the system changes necessary to be prepared for the next outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic 
• An explanation of how your leadership challenges as this leader relate to challenges of the other leaders listed above

Support your Case Study with specific references to all resources and current literature used in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.

Lawrence O., G., Daniel, L., & Alexandra, P. (2014). The Ebola Epidemic: A Global Health Emergency. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 312(11), 1095–1096. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1001/jama.2014.11176