Local health department (LHD) vector control programs have experienced budget reductions, resulting in reduced capacity and decreased ability to identify and quickly respond to emerging vector-borne diseases such as Chikungunya and Zika. "A Performance Management Initiative for Local Health Department Vector Control Programs," published in Environmental Health Insights, provides an overview and analysis of the success of the Vector Control Performance Improvement Initiative, supported by the Public Health Foundation (PHF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of 14 LHD vector control programs.

Each LHD conducted a performance assessment using the Environmental Public Health Performance Standards, then prioritized improvement and capacity needs and took action to address an identified area. PHF’s quality improvement (QI) experts assisted the health departments in using a variety of QI methods and tools as these agencies worked toward measureable achievements. This article also includes aggregate performance assessment results and descriptions of QI projects, which may be useful to other LHD vector control programs as they deal with reduced capacity and increased demand for their services. Co-authored with CDC by PHF team members Micaela K​irshy, Jack Moran, Ron Bialek, and Vanessa Lamers, this article is open source and available online.

 

For questions about this article or this initiative, contact Vanessa Lamers at vlamers@phf.org.