Public Health Leadership Initiative for Emergency Response
The Public Health Leadership Initiative for Emergency Response (PHLIER) is a case-based program for New Jersey’s
emerging public health leaders. Founded in 2005 and funded by the NJ Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ School of Public Health through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PHLIER has been helping prepare New Jersey’s public health workforce for the public health threats and emergencies of today and tomorrow. PHLIER is advised by a Steering Committee that represents the state’s public health workforce and has representatives of the NJ Health Officers Association, NJ Environmental Health Association, NJDHSS and the PHLIER graduate organization. Cases are the heart of PHLIER, not lectures. Fellows work through real-world public health dilemmas such as health department design, public health law, emerging pathogens, bioterrorism and natural disasters. The PHLIER Fellows run the public health system for Phlierton, a fictional community complete with public health data, demographics, maps and local history. Public health, health care and political leaders participate in the exercises and help the class identify solutions to the public health challenges of today and tomorrow. Between sessions, the work continues with readings, online discussions, and case follow-up.

Contacts:
Drew A. Harris, DPM, MPH Director,
Public Health Leadership Initiative for Emergency Response (PHLIER)
Assistant Director, NJ Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ
Assistant Professor, UMDNJ School of Public Health
P.O. Box 2688
335 George Street, Room 3711
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2688
Phone: 732/235-4908
Fax: 732/235-2051
Email: harrisda@umdnj.edu

Marcia A. Sass, ScD
Assistant Professor, Health Systems and Policy
Senior Evaluator, Center for Public Health Preparedness at UMDNJ-School of Public Health
335 George Street-Liberty Plaza-Suite 3700
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903
Phone: 609/499-0446
Fax: (732)-235-2051
Email: sassmm@umdnj.edu