This December, Charmaine Frederick (Turtle Clan) will be able to add another educational highlight to her resume: She will graduate from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Ladder to Leadership Program.

A 20-year employee with the Oneida Indian Nation, Charmaine, who serves as director of the Nation’s Health and Human Services Department, apprehensively signed up for the program. “I didn’t see myself as a community leader,” the self-described introvert said. “Now as a fellow in the program, and nearing commencement, I sincerely would recommend this leadership program to anyone who is eligible and interested in their personal leadership development.”

Charmaine heard of the 16-month program from Chuck Fougnier (Wolf Clan Council Member), who had received materials through his involvement with the Oneida Indian Nation Foundation.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience in which I have reaped great rewards,” Charmaine said while reflecting on the fellowship. “It’s wonderful and challenging. A leadership boot camp is probably the best analogy.”

Ladder to Leadership: Developing the Next Generation of Community Health Leaders is a national program of the RWJF created in collaboration with the Center for Creative Leadership. Central New York was one of nine areas targeted by the program. Other participating areas were Cleveland, Ohio; Birmingham, Ala.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Eastern N.C.; Portland, Ore.; Mid-South Region (western Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi); New Jersey; and Starr County, Texas.

Approximately 30 health care executives participated in the central New York cohort.

The fellowship was designed after surveying nonprofit leaders across the nation. Not only will there be an increase in demand on these providers, but the studies revealed several senior nonprofit executives will be nearing retirement, creating a need to build a new generation of leaders. Most respondents added that leadership programs for the nonprofit sector were infrequently offered.

Ladder to Leadership focuses on developing critical leadership skills, giving participants the chance to grow professionally through courses, mentoring, action learning projects, and individual professional coaching. The program also allowed Charmaine to make connections with other health agencies from the vast Central New York area.

“It’s been really beneficial for us to make those connections to other health systems in Oneida and Madison counties,” she said. “The networking itself is one of the most rewarding aspects of this program.”

Already the program has increased Charmaine’s confidence, self-awareness, conflict resolution and decision making skills. More important, Charmaine has shared her findings with her supervisory staff, and with other departments within the Nation.

As part of her graduation, Charmaine and her team will present a final project focusing on navigating the healthcare system from both the patient’s and the provider’s perspectives. The resulting video, called “Walk a Mile,” will:

• Assist the uninsured in understanding how to obtain coverage;
• Help the underinsured to pursue proper coverage;
• Enlighten providers on the unique barriers facing the uninsured and underinsured populations, and;
• Establish a better understanding of perspectives among all groups.

“I am so grateful for this experience. Over the years, the Nation had afforded me the opportunity to go to school,” Charmaine added. “They allowed me to grow not only educationally, but also in my chosen career path. This program is a perfect example of the support I have received over the years to better myself.”

As director of the Nation’s Health and Human Services Department, Charmaine is responsible for maintaining the Nation’s vision to provide Members the highest quality health care. The department offers public health, medical, dental, mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse, and case management services to approximately 2,400 clients, including other federally-recognized American Indians.

And the department’s hard work has gotten noticed. Recently, the Health Department was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for demonstrating “exemplary performance.”

“The staff members work extremely hard and invest a lot of time and energy on providing quality health care to our patients,” she added. “This award recognition acknowledges these efforts.”

The award, based on the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), measures 21 different clinical areas – ranging from cancer screening to diabetes management. The honor is for providing quality care to patients and for undergoing proper documentation to “benefit patients and improve overall quality of care to patients.”

“Slowly and surely, we are making a difference in our clients’ lives.”

Related Links:
Ladder to Leadership video on Youtube
Information on Ladder to Leadership