David Shore, associate dean and executive director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education (CCPE) at HSPH, is in the business of building trust in the health care industry. With 25 years of experience in continuing professional education, he says that investing in programs for professionals increases trust among colleagues, institutions and the public and helps organizations be more competitive.

CCPE has now teamed with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System–Long Island’s largest employer and the nation’s third biggest not-for-profit health care system–and General Electric (GE) Medical Systems to launch a Center for Learning and Innovation. Shore announced the creation of the center, the largest of its kind in the health care industry, with GE’s new chief executive officer (CEO) Jeffrey Immelt (who has replaced Jack Welch as GE’s CEO) and North Shore-LIJ’s CEO Michael Dowling last week at a press conference broadcasted live on the Internet. The webcast is archived at http://www.northshorelij.edu/.

Using curricula developed and taught by HSPH faculty, the center will offer courses on a variety of topics about health care and business to all levels of North Shore-LIJ’s 30,000 employees. At the request of physician executives, the first course to be taught will be "Enhancing Clinical Management Trust in the Health Care Environment."

"In the health care arena, there has been a steady erosion of trust," said Shore at the press conference. He cited medical errors and the government’s conflicted response to bioterrorism threats as examples of "trust busters."

"When patients don’t trust in their caregivers, they’re less effective partners," said Shore. Clinical compliance, treatment and care suffer.

CCPE will help North Shore-LIJ build a "power brand name" by improving services and distinguishing itself in a competitive marketplace, said Shore. He defined a power brand as one for which people will pay more, travel further and wait longer. Shore is an expert on building power brands, chairing an annual national conference on "Branding, Positioning and Competitive Strategies in the Health Care Industries."

In addition to offering courses, Shore is revamping North Shore-LIJ’s orientation program for new employees and conducting senior management training conferences.

Next fall, he and Marc Roberts, professor of political economy in the Department of Health Policy and Management, will co-chair an HSPH symposium tentatively entitled "The Public’s Health: A Matter of Trust." North Shore-LIJ will be a sponsor of the symposium.