Applying Performance Measurement to Public Health Policy Activities
August 7, 2012
The Public Health Foundation (PHF) and the American Public Health Association (APHA) have worked collaboratively to develop a new tool to help health departments assess and improve the performance of their policy activities. While other performance measurement and evaluation guides exist, this is...
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Strategic Practice Selection Exercise
June 29, 2012
The Strategic Practice Selection Exercise is a data driven decision making exercise to show how health departments can use a strategic practice selection process to assess the availability, affordability, accessibility, and utility of potential interventions. The priority areas selected for this exercise...
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Key Ingredients in Public Health Quality Improvement
May 29, 2012
The emphasis on quality improvement (QI) continues to intensify for public health departments. The growing focus on accreditation, along with realistic concerns about optimizing efficiency while positively impacting the public’s health, are fueling this interest. To support the efforts of health departments...
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Quality Improvement Transforms Knox County Tennessee
November 17, 2011
Knox County Health Department in Tennessee began using Quality Improvement (QI) tools and techniques to address asthma management in their local community. At the conclusion of an asthma management demonstration project, funded by AstraZeneca, Knox County administrators wanted to integrate QI into...
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Improving the Planning and Performance Measurement Reporting System
June 27, 2011
The goal of this rapid cycle improvement (RCI) project was to streamline the reporting process of the Minnesota Planning and Performance Measurement Reporting System to improve the content and quality of the data submitted and add more value for state and local stakeholders. RCI PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)...
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A Lean Day in the Tulsa Health Department White Paper
April 13, 2011
With assistance from PHF, the Tulsa Health Department Quality Improvement Council (QIC) conducted a Lean event in three of its facilities with the objective of beautification of the environment and creating efficiency for the customer. Lean is a process management philosophy that helps optimize the...
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Sedgwick County Health Department Storyboard - Lab Test Reporting Accuracy
April 4, 2011
The Quality Improvement (QI) Committee at the Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) in Kansas identified lab test reporting accuracy as one of the eight improvement areas to address in an effort to develop a culture of QI at the agency.
SCHD lab personnel noticed for some time that the totals...
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Sedgwick County Health Department Storyboard - New Employee Orientation
April 4, 2011
The Quality Improvement Committee at the Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) in Kansas identified revising the New Employee Orientation as one of the eight improvement areas to address in an effort to develop a culture of QI at the agency.
AIM Statement
By December 1, 2010, 90% of SCHD sup...
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Sedgwick County Health Department Storyboard - WIC Wait Times
April 4, 2011
The Quality Improvement Committee at the Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) in Kansas identified improving the wait time for the Women Infants and Children (WIC) clinic as one of the eight improvement areas to address in an effort to develop a culture of QI at the agency.
AIM StatementTo pro...
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QI Successes in Sedgwick County Health Department
February 10, 2011
In July 2010, the Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) in Kansas began working with PHF in an effort to develop a culture of quality improvement (QI) at the agency. The key objectives of the project included:
Development of an agency quality improvement plan
Leadership staff training
All-staff...
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