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Notes 1, 2005 >Updates from the Communications, Education,
and Behavioral Studies Branch
TB Notes 1, 2005
No. 1, 2005
Updates from the Communications, Education,
and Behavioral Studies Branch
2004 Program Managers’ Course
Overview of the TB Program Managers’ Course
The overall purpose of the TB Program Managers’ Course is to improve
the planning and managerial capabilities of new TB program managers
throughout the country. The course is designed for TB controllers,
program managers, public health advisors, and nurse consultants
with programmatic responsibilities at the state, big city, territory,
or regional (within a state) level. Optimally, a course participant
should have occupied a TB program management position for at least
6 months but no more than 3 years. Participants are nominated by
the DTBE Program Consultant for their area.
2004 TB Program Managers’ Course
The 2004 course was held in Atlanta, Georgia, October 18-22, 2004.
The Communications, Education, and Behavioral Studies Branch (CEBSB)
would like to thank the faculty and participants of the October
2004 TB Program Managers’ Course for making the course such a success.
The hard work of the faculty in preparing the materials for their
sessions and the participant’s hard work during the course are greatly
appreciated.
This year's 5-day training was divided into 17 sessions. Each session
stood alone as a block of instruction, but was sequenced to build
logically on the sessions preceding it.
The course stressed practical application of planning, management,
and evaluation concepts to the specific issues and concerns of TB
programs. Skills essential to TB program management were presented,
followed by exercises that encouraged participants to practice using
the skills in the classroom setting. At the end of each session,
participants were asked to address specific questions in a Planning
Guide, which required them to synthesize concepts presented in the
session and apply them to their own programs.
The Planning Guide was a tangible product that participants took
home from the course, to serve as a record of personal course discoveries
and, more importantly, as a road map for improving the effectiveness
of their TB prevention and control efforts.
An initial look at the TB Program Managers’ Course participant
evaluations indicates the course was very well received. In the
final session participants shared one thing that they wanted to
add to or improve in their program as a result of taking the course.
Some of the items mentioned included--
- Improve contact investigations through better prioritization
of contacts
- Implement a cohort review process
- Seek opportunities to improve management skills
For the participants, the course is not entirely over. They will
be mailed a 6-month follow-up questionnaire in April 2005. Once
this questionnaire is completed and returned, each participant will
receive a certificate of completion for the course. The next course
will be held October 24-28, 2005.
—Submitted by Amera Khan, MPH,
and Scott McCoy, Med
Div of TB Elimination
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