Leadership Development Sessions in a Community Health Setting: A Feasibility Evaluation of Participant-Perceived Leadership Preparedness.

Background Effective leadership is critical in a community health center (CHC) setting to ensure the delivery of high-quality medical care. There is a lack of sufficient literature on healthcare leadership training within community health settings. Therefore, we aimed to develop and implement a CHC leadership program and to evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and participant-perceived impact in a community health system. Methods In May 2023, we initiated a CHC leadership program at Amistad Community Health Center, with all the healthcare leaders participating in monthly leadership sessions. The sessions, led by an expert, focused on topics such as types of leadership, emotional intelligence, communication skills, conflict management, and time management through didactic and interactive sessions. All 11 participants were surveyed in June 2024 regarding their perceptions of the program using a post-intervention survey. Responses were assessed using the Likert scale (1 = not at all to 5 = completely). Results Out of 82% (9/11) healthcare leaders who responded to the survey, 89% (8/9) had >5 years of clinical experience, and 56% (5/9) had >5 years of leadership experience. All quantitative items had a mean score above 4.2/5. Highest mean ratings were observed for professional alignment (4.56), enhanced understanding of leadership concepts (4.56), and preparedness to apply leadership principles (4.56). Qualitative feedback (8/9 respondents) supported the collaborative group format and suggested earlier distribution of materials, more role-play/simulation activities, and expanded participation (e.g., cross-site staff and community guest speakers) in future programs. Conclusions This longitudinal, low-cost, well-received, and feasible program in a CHC demonstrated high satisfaction and perceived gains in leadership preparedness among clinical and non-clinical leaders. Future studies should examine whether the program drives measurable improvement in leadership skills or organizational outcomes.