Leatherman to receive award for contributions to global health care

July 30, 2019

Sheila Leatherman

Sheila Leatherman, MSW, professor of health policy and management at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, will receive the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) Presidential Citation for Distinguished Service Award later this year.

The society’s board is recognizing Leatherman’s work to improve the quality of care for those in lower and middle-income countries, as well as her significant contributions to the missions of ISQua, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting quality improvement in health care across the world.

Leatherman’s work “has been outstanding, of an exceptionally high caliber and of immense value to ISQua,” reads her award notification letter. “In making these contributions, you have enhanced the quality and safety of health care worldwide.”

“I am very grateful for the honor,” responded Leatherman, “but it belongs to the many colleagues, team members and students who have worked with me over several decades and in many countries.”

Leatherman’s research and policy has previously included quality of care, health systems reform and strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries; she currently is focused on settings of extreme adversity such as humanitarian crises, fragile regions and conflict zones.  She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and was awarded the honor of Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 2007 for her work to improve the performance of the National Health Service over a decade.

Leatherman will receive her award at ISQua’s international conference in Cape Town, South Africa, this October.

Contact the Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@listserv.unc.edu.