Acknowledgments

We would like to begin by acknowledging the dedicated people who work in public health and who, despite limited resources, have accomplished so much in making the United States a better place to lead a healthy life. This is really a book about how to help public health departments achieve even greater success stories in the future through better leadership. Those who work in public health departments throughout this country have so much more to contribute if only allowed to do their work. This can only be accomplished through leadership, worker empowerment, and increased resources.

During the process of writing this book we met many dedicated people who demanded professionalism in everything they tried to accomplish. A number of individuals, to whom we are truly indebted, helped us with the writing of particular chapters. They are the wonderful individuals who work at Prevention Institute, a nonprofit national center dedicated to improving community health and equity through effective primary prevention: Larry Cohen, Rachel Davis, Anthony Iton, and Sharon Murriguez.

A number of additional individuals contributed case studies in public health, including Julia Joh Elligers and Lisa Jacobs from the National Association of County and City Health Officials; Ted Kross from the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department; Jill D. Morrow-Gorton, who is a developmental pediatrician serving as the medical director of the Office of Developmental Programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare; and Marc C. Marchese, a professor at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Three more individuals to whom we are truly indebted helped us with the review of this new public health text. They are Celeste Torio, Michele Shade and Helda Pinzon Perez. They helped us sharpen our ideas to make this book a much better addition to the literature concerning public health practice.

During the entire research and writing process for this book we were surrounded by intelligent, caring individuals who cared only about making our ideas better. We are very fortunate individuals to have had the opportunity to write a book for a national publisher, but we are equally fortunate to have been able to work with such talent.