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Performance Management
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Accreditation and Quality Improvement State Map - This interactive online map hosted by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), connects users to jurisdictions that are working on performance improvement, certification, and/or accreditation.
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Case Studies
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'A Critical Analysis of National Public Health Program Development and Assessment Process' - This case study, developed by the Mid-America Regional Public Health Leadership Institute (MARPHLI), describes the development of the first National Public Health Program developed for Quebec. It discusses the decision making processes used and how partners were involved in the plan development. (Unauthorized use or publication of this case study is prohibited without written consent from MARPHLI or the Indiana State Health Department. Click here for case study use restrictions and contacts.)
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Accreditation & Other National Initiatives
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Accreditation & Quality Improvement E-Newsletter - AccreditNATION is NACCHO's accreditation preparation and quality improvement e-newsletter. Through this e-newsletter they share resources to prepare for accreditation and engage in quality improvement activities,
Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) updates, and opportunities to share and highlight your health department accreditation preparation efforts. Visit this site to learn how to subscribe to this newsletter.
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Accreditation FAQ - This brief two-page frequently asked question (FAQ) guide summarizes information on how local health officials are involved in developing the program, the connection between NACCHO’s Operational Definition and accreditation standards, in addition to other popular topics. If you have any questions, contact Penney Davis at pdavis@naccho.org or (202)-783-550, Ext 265.
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Alliance for the Healthiest Nation - The Alliance is a collaboration of people and organizations committed to rebalancing our nation's health system and making sure that our investments prioritize health promotion, prevention of poor health and preparedness for new threats. Visit the website to learn more.
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Building Blocks for Public Health: Connecting Standards and Accreditation - The archived 2007 NACCHO webcast and PowerPoint Presentation focuses on how several important programs and projects serve as the basis of public health, and how these can be used for performance assessment in preparation for national accreditation. National experts explain and discuss relationships among the Ten Essential Public Health Services, National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP), Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships program (MAPP), ASTHO's Understanding State Public Health Project, and NACCHO's Operational Definition of a Functional Local Health Department. Downloadable materials include a short primer on each project. The program is part of NACCHO's "Transforming Public Health Infrastructure Series."
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Canadian Best Practices Portal - The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) presented its Model Practice Program at a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) sponsored workshop (Promising Practices Workshop, Canadian Best Practices System, Toronto, Ontario on May 10-11, 2007). PHAC has been working with leaders in research and practice to guide practitioners to the most promising policy- and program-related options in cases of uncertainty and in absence of scientific evidence. PHAC identified NACCHO as a leader in developing approaches to support decisions in the absence of scientific evidence. In 2007, PHAC launched the Canadian Best Practice Portal to increase access to systematic review of evidence and best practice interventions. Visit the PHAC The Canadian Best Practices Portal for additional information.
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Consensus Statement on Quality in the Public Health System - This consensus statement frames quality in the public health system. It is intended to serve as principles to enhance and guide goals of existing and future programs that promote quality. The consensus statement was developed by the Public Health Quality Forum (PHQF) in 2008.
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Making the Connection – Multi-State Learning Collaborative (MLC) - The National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) MLC Issue 4 newsletter (December 2007) highlights New Hampshire’s efforts to assess the local public health system readiness for national voluntary accreditation. The regional public health networks stem from the state's Turning Point initiative, which aims to achieve state and local public health system standards in the National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) as well as develop local entities that can meet standards in the Operational Definition of a Functional Local Health Department. Additional "Making the Connection" newsletters describing the activities of MLC states are available on NNPHI’s website
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MLC: Lead States in Public Health Quality Improvement - Lead States in Public Health Quality Improvement is the third phase of the Multi-State Learning Collaborative (MLC). The program, which builds off the momentum of two previous MLC inititatives, brings state and local health departments together with other stakeholders including public health institutes, health care providers and universities to improve public health services and the health of their community by implementing quality improvement practices. Each of the 16 participating states has been awarded a three-year grant of up to $150,000 per year to implement projects that will help address specific health outcome.
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NACCHO's Accreditation E-Newsletter - Starting in February 2008, the National Association of County and City Health Officals (NACCHO) will offer a periodic update about accreditation preparation and quality improvement. You can find more about the newsletter by visiting their website or sign up by emailing Penney Davis at pdavis@naccho.org/accrediation.
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New Jersey Testimony on Sharing and Consolidating Services at a Regional Level (PDF) - This testimony was delivered by Dr. John Baillie, David Grubb and David Gruber at the New Jersey State House Annex on September 13, 2006. It describes the New Jersey’s current public health infrastructure, administrative responsibilities and services, and the impact of consolidation and shared services. The National Association of County and City Health Officials has made this testimony available on their website.
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Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) - This site offers the latest news about voluntary, national accreditation of state and local health departments. The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) was established in response to the final recommendations of the Exploring Accreditation Project, which are available on the site.
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Public Health Regionalization Study-National Overview (November 2007) (PDF) - This study explores the potential impact of regionalizing public health services in Massachusetts and Kansas and investigates the financial and economic rationale for regionalization in other states. Public Health regionalization offers a strategy to help smaller health departments meet the Public Health Accreditation Board’s standard to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, is served by a local health department that meets the standards of the Operational Definition of a Functional Health Department. In addition to this study, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is disseminating lessons learned, case studies and tools developed during the course of this project on their website. This Report was prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments. It was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Self-Assessment Tool to Prepare Local Health Departments for Accreditation - Based on the Operational Definition Prototype Metrics, this tool allows local health departments to measure themselves against the Operational Definition standards and subsequently identify areas of strength and areas for improvements. This tool was developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officals.
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Can Accreditation Work in Public Health? Lessons from Other Service Industries - This November 2004 white paper, prepared for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides an overview of the literature about accreditation programs in health and social services industries. Glen P. Mays, MD, MPH, of the College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, offers recommendations derived from the experiences of other fields that could apply to public health. Among the report’s conclusions are:
- The ability for an accreditation program in public health to yield improvement in service delivery, operations, and health outcomes would likely depend on its design and implementation;
- A full array of stakeholders should be represented in the governance of an accreditation program; and
- The costs of such programs should be distributed so that it does not preclude the participation of some organizations.
To request the full report, click here.
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Exploring Public Health Experience with Standards and Accreditation - This October 2004 report, prepared for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides an overview of the history of accreditation activities in public health and reviews current state and local accreditation programs. It also describes the stances that several major public health organizations have taken on accreditation and related programs. Lee Theilan writes that states have developed many models that public health leaders should look to as they consider whether the country would benefit from a national accreditation program.
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Performance Standards, Accreditation, and Public Health - Three online presentations describe national and state performance standards and accreditation initiatives: "Accreditation of Public Health Agencies: Are We Bragging or Can We Do It?" (Ed Thompson, MD, MPH); "What Will It Take to be Accredited? Public Health Performance Standards and Strategies in Ohio" (James Pearsol, BA, MEd); and "Performance Standards, Public Health, and Accreditation" (Grace Gorenflo). The Ohio presentation describes specific strategies for managing performance statewide, including an overview of the standards, measures, web-based reporting tools, legislation, incentives, and results for its state and local models. Ohio's approach encompasses performance standards and measures in several important areas, including agency administration and business performance, health outcomes, and the National Public Health Performance Standards (NPHPSP) program. Lessons learned make the Ohio presentation a useful case example on aligning resources and results with statewide priorities. The Medscape webcast archive offers CME credits for physicians and continuing education contact hours for nurses through February 16, 2007. PowerPoint slides and a transcript also are available for download. The presentations were originally delivered at the December 2005 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.
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General Quality Improvement Resources and Tools
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Quality Improvement Keeps Accreditation Flying - As part of the NC Multi-State Learning Collaborative projects, the NC Division of Public Health and the NC Institute for Public Health presented a PHTIN training on quality improvement On October 16, 2007. This training, designed for NC local health department staff, explored the role of quality and performance improvement to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization.
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Tools and Resources for Better Healthcare (AHRQ) - Summarizes quality improvement and assessment tools funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Assessment tools include the CAHPS® customer questionnaires (which can be used to collect reliable information about the experiences of consumers with health services) and a bioterrorism preparedness tool to gauge health system capabilities.
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