PHF E-News brings you the latest information on how you can use performance management, quality improvement, and workforce development to improve the quality and performance of your organization and the health of your community.

As more state, tribal, local, and territorial public health departments prepare documentation to apply for Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation, TRAIN, the nation's premier learning management network designed for public health professionals, can be an invaluable resource. Find out five ways that TRAIN can support accreditation efforts.
 

In a recent report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conservatively estimated that over two million people in the US are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually. What are the roles of health departments in managing this public health threat? How do patient expectations affect appropriate antibiotic use? Find the answers in a PHF Pulse Blog post by Guillermo Sanchez from the Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work program at CDC.

 

Recipients of the 2012 Future of Public Health Award, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and Washtenaw County Public Health in Michigan, received support to implement quality improvement programs designed to achieve measurable outcomes to benefit the future of public health. See how these organizations used quality improvement to address two of CDC's Winnable Battles.

 

Last month, PHF began a series of webinars to promote awareness and use of The Guide to Community Preventive Services, also known as The Community Guide, to encourage public health and healthcare professionals to implement evidence-based strategies to improve community health outcomes. The first online event, co-sponsored with the Association for Community Health Improvement, featured the Accountable Care Community in Akron, Ohio, where health systems and community partners shared best practices for a diabetes prevention program.

Upcoming Event
The next webinar in the series, "Use of The Guide to Community Preventive Services to Impact Healthy Aging," will be held on January 16, 2014. Co-sponsored with United Way Worldwide, the webinar will profile the Gatekeeper Program, which uses nontraditional health advocates to connect older adults with essential health and safety services.

How can organizations choose or adapt a performance management model to fit their specific cultures and needs? Read a recently published white paper from PHF Quality Experts that explores the performance management methods and models such as PDCA that organizations can use to drive improvements and translate strategy into action.

Over the past eight months, the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice has been collecting feedback from the public health community on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. Read the latest comments gathered from the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting on the PHF Pulse Blog, along with additional opportunities to provide your feedback by December 31, 2013 to help shape the future of the public health workforce.