Leadership in Health: Cancer Program Development and Implementation

This report delves into the critical aspects of leadership within the healthcare sector, specifically focusing on the development and implementation of cancer programs. It examines the necessary skills for a Head of Cancer Strategy & Support Division, including change management, team leadership, enterprise governance, financial management, and interpersonal skills. The report addresses challenges in implementing cancer care pathways, such as unfamiliarity with patient needs and limited resources, while suggesting solutions like educational programs and the use of electronic medical records. It provides insights into strategic policy decisions, human capital management, cultural sensitivity, and contract management within the context of cancer care, drawing on various academic sources to support its findings. The report also discusses the role of the Cancer Council Victoria in supporting program implementation.

Running head: LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH 1
Leadership in Health
Name
Institution

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Task #1
Ability to Influence Strategic Policy Decisions and Lead the Development of Cancer
Programs
Response:
There are various skills that an individual should possess to successfully qualify for a
management position in any organization especially for setting up a strategic policy as well as
developing a cancer program. For the purpose of the Head of Cancer Strategy & Support
Division, a successful applicant has to have a rather skills in change management for handling
new programs (Sarkies et al., 2017). Notably, change management is the overall tools, technique
as well as the process used to manage the people side of change with an aim of achieving a
particular business outcome (Groot et al., 2017). In this light, an applicant should be in a position
to incorporate the available tools regarding cancer care program to help team members make a
rather successful individual transitional. One is, therefore, required to create networks of trust
with other managers to enable managers to support the current program and implement the
change in it.
Leading a team is another trait that a successful applicant should possess to ensure that
the intended cancer care program is fully implemented. One way of making this possible is
through the creation of a leadership environment of leadership. Notably, this allows an individual
to set up a particular suggestion regarding the development of the cancer care program and the
team members are able to agree with the relevant suggestions. However, the selected applicant
has to make the members of his or her team feel safe (Brownson, Baker, Deshpande, & Gillespie,
2017). Instead of creating a combat, an applicant is supposed to establish a sense of trust among
the team members and other leaders to acquire overwhelming comfort. Additionally, this will

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allow a swift decision-making process without objections as members will be talking with the
same tone (McCormack, Thomas, Lewis, & Rudd, 2017). The fact that the applicant has to be a
leader, he as well has to make sure that there is a good working environment for the
implementation of the designed programs for cancer patients.
Demonstrated Strong Enterprise Governance and Financial Management Skills
Response:
In essence, human capital management is the overall act of managing a particular set of
employees or rather team members with an aim of making them contribute significantly to the
productivity of an organization. In this light, a successful applicant has to put into consideration
how he or she treats the members of the team that is designed to develop the cancer care
programs. An applicant is not expected to treat the members or a particular team like they are
just mere laborers. The main objective of a selected applicant would there be to train the member
of a team in becoming more efficient especially in implementing the program at hand. In human
capital management, a successful applicant should treat the member of the team as significant
resources that tend to play an instrumental role in productivity. The ability of an applicant to
develop and manage a team member in line with their set responsibilities ensures that people
become an indispensable resource in the future. Moreover, this aspect ensures that team
members contribute close to a hundred percent in the long run.
Capital resources have proven to be an important element in helping a manager design
human capital policies; programs as well as strategies with an aim of increasing efficiency of the
team members thus helping them accomplish a particular task in an organization. To achieve
this, a successful applicant must be clear in human capital goals. Notably, this involves
understanding the existing gap that lies between the current state as well as the desired outcome

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in developing capital goals that are related to employees. In this light, the successful applicant
has to come up with some long-term plans that are aimed at ensuring employees are fully
satisfied with the duties are assigned to them thus delivering their level best.
A part of financial management skills, an applicant has to have interpersonal skills.
Apparently, this is the overall ability of a person building a successful relationship with a
customer with an aim of excelling. Interpersonal skills are considered as a point of difference
when looking at qualified as a team member (Dror, 2017). Additionally, a successful applicant
must have strong communication skills. In essence, strong oral, as well as written
communication skills are essential in accounting as well as the financial worker. It is, therefore,
imperative Ian applicant is able to explain financial jargons. To achieve all this, financial
reporting skills are considered indispensable requirements especially in growing areas including
super-forecasting. Despite the fact that it is often hard to find a candidate who has this trait, it is
important as an applicant to master these skills.
Handling a cross-cultural society has never been an easy thing. In this light, a successful
applicant is expected to be a person who is sensitive to cultural alignment given the fact that a
manager is likely to come across various cancer patients of different cultural alignment. Having a
sense of cultural sensitivity allows an individual to be in a position of serving various people in
their community in a better way. In this light, developing a model of intercultural sensitivity is
imperative. Notably, this is often measured by how a person has good intercultural
communication to understand different cultures (Stewart & Wild, 2018). Essentially, this allows
an individual to perceive to accept or even to react to differences and similarities among
individuals.

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The aspect of contract management is no doubt an important element is developing a
program if an organization is to reduce financial risks while maximizing operational as well as a
financial performance at an organization. As a prospective manager in this scenario, the
applicant acts as a bridge that comes between a set of business and suppliers (Carlson, Rouleau,
Speca, Robinson, & Bultz, 2017). As a result, a successful applicant has to have negotiation
skills and influence others in a smart way. Additionally, an applicant has to have a strong
communication as well as project management skills to be able to develop a cancer care
program.

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Task #2
“In This Role, You Will Be Responsible For Championing The Progressive Implementation
Of Optimal Cancer Care Pathways. What Do You Think Will Be The Key Challenges
Associated With Implementation Of These In Victoria? What Can The Cancer Council
Victoria Do Support The Implementation Of Ocps?”
Response:
There are obvious challenges that I am likely to face as a Head of Cancer Strategy and
Support Division in the implementation stage of the set program. One major challenge that my
team and I are likely to face is the aspect of unfamiliarity with the overall ongoing needs of the
cancer survivors as well as cancer-related well-being risks. Additionally, some of the team
members may be unfamiliar with the screening guidelines as well as the methods that are used to
reduce risks thus making my task harder. While I might have some skills and experience of
handling patients, some of my members may lack enough expertise that is required for managing
cancer survivors especially those complex needs (Carlson et al., 2017). Moreover, there might be
limited resources in helping a well as providing follow-ups care. A common challenge that is
likely to be encountered is the aspect of lack of education and expertise of the issues regarding
cancer survivors by the extended rehabilitation community members.
To support the implementation of the Ocps, the Cancer Council Victoria can set out
regional educational programs with an aim of increasing awareness of the issues surrounding
survivorship as well as the reorient them towards a relevant model of communication
collaborations and the entire coordination of processes. In this light, the use of technology can
prove helpful in the distribution of survivorship and overall education. Additionally, the council
can set out or rather develop a program aimed at survivorship with an aim of addressing provider

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level challenges that surrounds coordination as well as communication of care services (Jacobs
& Shulman, 2017). Victoria cancer council can support the implementation of the current
program through the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) such as the portals meant for
patients and treatment summary. Notably, this is likely to assist in the coordination and
communication that lies between members of the care team.

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References
Stewart, B. W. K. P., & Wild, C. P. (2018). World cancer report 2014. Self.
Brownson, R. C., Baker, E. A., Deshpande, A. D., & Gillespie, K. N. (2017). Evidence-based
public health. Oxford university press.
Sarkies, M. N., Bowles, K. A., Skinner, E. H., Haas, R., Lane, H., & Haines, T. P. (2017). The
effectiveness of research implementation strategies for promoting evidence-informed
policy and management decisions in healthcare: a systematic review. Implementation
Science, 12(1), 132.
McCormack, L., Thomas, V., Lewis, M. A., & Rudd, R. (2017). Improving low health literacy
and patient engagement: a social-ecological approach. Patient education and counseling,
100(1), 8-13.
Dror, Y. (2017). Public policy making reexamined. Routledge.
Groot, G., Waldron, T., Carr, T., McMullen, L., Bandura, L. A., Neufeld, S. M., & Duncan, V.
(2017). Development of a program theory for shared decision-making: a realist review
protocol. Systematic reviews, 6(1), 114.
Carlson, L. E., Rouleau, C. R., Speca, M., Robinson, J., & Bultz, B. D. (2017). Brief supportive-
expressive group therapy for partners of men with early-stage prostate cancer: lessons
learned from a negative randomized controlled trial. Supportive Care in Cancer, 25(4),
1035-1041.
Jacobs, L. A., & Shulman, L. N. (2017). Follow-up care of cancer survivors: challenges and
solutions. The Lancet Oncology, 18(1), e19-e29.

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