Quality Connection
E-Blast
January 2017 - Issue 32
In This E-Blast
Public Health Accreditation Board Webinar on Reaccreditation
ASTHO News
ASTHO Resources
State and Territorial News
Partner News
Accreditation Support Initiative Awardees
PHAB Accreditation
ASTHO encourages all state health agencies to seek national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Visit PHAB's Website for the most up-to-date accreditation materials.
PHAB Webinar on Reaccreditation
Register today for PHAB's webinar, titled "An Introduction to PHAB Reaccreditation." The webinar, held on Jan. 19 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. ET, will provide an overview o f public health department reaccreditation through PHAB. Led by PHAB Chief Program Officer Robin Wilcox, the webinar will:
  • Explain the overall process and steps for seeking PHAB reaccreditation 
  • Discuss the standards and measures specific to PHAB reaccreditation and the types of documents that will be required
  • Describe the Population Health Outcomes Reporting required for reaccreditation.
For more information, contact Shirley Orr, PHAB consultant.
We want to hear from you!
Has your department utilized performance management or quality improvement activities? Do you have accreditation readiness successes to share? Send a brief update to accreditation@astho.org  to be featured in an upcoming issue of Quality Connection.
If you do not already receive Quality Connection, click the link below to join our monthly mailing list.
Welcome Public Health Colleagues
Welcome to ASTHO's Quality Connection E-Blast! In this newsletter you will find news and information on ASTHO resources and tools, upcoming funding and learning opportunities, current publications, and updates on cross-cutting ASTHO programs in areas of performance management and accreditation readiness. This e-blast is brought to you thanks to funding from CDC.
ASTHO News
ASTHO Develops Issue Brief on Incorporating Healthy Aging Priorities into SHIPs
ASTHO developed an issue brief that provides guidance on how state health agencies can incorporate healthy aging priorities and strategies into their State Health Improvement Plans (SHIPs). SHIPs provide a unique opportunity for state health agencies to address the health priorities of a state's population. Every state has an aging population that continues to grow, and state health agencies can utilize their SHIPS to set priorities, influence the use of resources, and implement programs and policies to improve the health of this population. This issue brief also highlights examples of two states with comprehensive SHIPs that address the health of their older adult populations. ASTHO hopes this resource will provide useful information for other programmatic areas looking to incorporate priorities and strategies into their agency's SHIP as well. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Leah Silva, ASTHO's senior analyst for performance improvement. 

ASTHO Launches the Advancing Health Equity Blog Series
The ASTHO 2016-2017 blog series  on advancing health equity in state and territorial public health will feature leaders from across the country who are advancing health equity and optimal health for all by addressing the social determinants of health (i.e., where people are born, live, work, play, and learn). This blog series will include experts in transportation equity, environmental justice, parks and recreation, and disability advocates. The first article features Kathy Sykes, senior advisor for aging and public health, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development.
ASTHO Resources
ASTHO Expanding Documentation Examples in the Accreditation Library
ASTHO recently added example documentation from Minnesota and Pennsylvania to its  Accreditation Library  for the following measures: 1.1.2, 5.2.2, and 8.2.1. Measure 1.1.2 includes examples of State Health Assessments, measure 5.2.2. has an example of a SHIP, and measure 8.2.1 includes examples of Workforce Development Plans. Additionally, ASTHO is currently reviewing 22 additional pieces of documentation in six Domains to add to the Accreditation Library, which will be posted in the spring.

The Accreditation Library is a repository of sample accreditation documentation from state health agencies, which may serve as a reference for other health agencies developing similar documentation for their accreditation materials.  ASTHO is still collecting documentation for the following standards and measures, which are greatly needed for the Accreditation Library:
  • Measure 3.1.3
  • Measure 3.2.3
  • Measure 5.3.3
  • Measures 5.4.1, 5.4.2
  • Standard 6.3
  • Measures 7.1.1, 7.1.3, 7.2.1, 7.2.3
  • Measure 8.2.1
  • Measures 9.1.4, 9.1.6
  • Measure 11.1.3
  • Measure 12.3.2
If you would like to submit your health agency's documentation as a sample for the Accreditation Library, please send the documentation and a completed Submission Form to accreditation@astho.org.
State and Territorial News
Montana DPHHS Public Health and Safety Division Accredited through PHAB
In November, PHAB announced that it awarded national accreditation status to 12 state and local public health departments. Since the launch of the national accreditation program in 2011, 161 public health departments and one integrated local public health department system have achieved accreditation through PHAB.  ASTHO congratulates the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Public Health and Safety Division on achieving accreditation. Montana DPHHS Public Health and Safety Division Administrator Todd Harwell shared that "becoming accredited affirms that the public health programs, services, and coordination that the state provides are high quality and that we are meeting very high standards." There are now 20 PHAB-accredited state health departments , with 16 more state health agencies in the accreditation process. 

Iowa DPH and District of Columbia DOH Develop Online Video Series on PHAB Domains
The Iowa Public Health Gaining Ground Coalition developed short webinars aimed at local health departments. The webinars provide an overview of the 12 domains of PHAB accreditation. Nine domain videos are available for viewing; the remaining three will be available in 2017. Please s ee the Gaining Ground website for more information and resources on accreditation. For additional information, contact Joy Harris , Iowa Department of Public Health's public health modernization coordinator

Additionally, the District of Columbia Department of Health developed 12 training videos on PHAB accreditation domains. These domain-specific videos were developed under the PHAB Standards and Measures, Version 1.0, but provide a snapshot of the focus of each domain area. For more information, please contact Todd Menhinick, District of Columbia's Department of Health accreditation coordinator. 
Partner News
Register Today for the Spring 2016 Open Forum for QI
Registration is now open for the Community of Practice for Public Health Improvement Spring 2017 Open Forum, which will be held April 20-21 in New Orleans. The Open Forum is a unique opportunity to learn from leaders in public health quality improvement and network with your peers. Visit the registration site for more information and pre-conference workshops. Additionally, a  call for abstracts is now open for roundtable discussions and poster sessions. The deadline to submit an abstract is Jan. 6 at 5 p.m. ET. If you have any questions, please contact Carmelita Marrow, the National Network of Public Health Institutes's convening strategist.

Call for Volunteers for the Performance Improvement Competencies Subgroup
The Public Health Foundation (PHF), in collaboration with CDC, is supporting the development of Competencies for Performance Improvement (PI) professionals. PHF is currently seeking volunteers to participate in a PI Competencies Subgroup under the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice. The PI Competencies will help define the roles and responsibilities of public health PI professionals, as well as identify and meet workforce development needs. The PI Competencies Subgroup will:
  • Suggest resources to review for an environmental scan current being conducted by PHF of similar efforts
  • Participate in calls to review the draft and final versions of the environmental scan report
  • Identify needs of PI professionals
  • Provide input and feedback on the development of the PI Competencies.
For more information or to join, please contact Julie Sharp, PHF's performance improvement specialist by Jan. 15. 

P HNCI Fall Into Learning Webinar Series
The Public Health National Center for Innovations (PHNCI) recently wrapped up its Fall into Learning Webinar Series. From October through December, PHNCI offered monthly webinars to provide the public health field with information on emerging trends and strategies to advance innovations in practice. Archived webinars from the series are below. If you have any questions, please contact Travis Parker Lee, PHNCI program specialist.
Enter the Latest PHQIX Drawing!
The Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange (PHQIX) is excited to announce the launch of its latest drawing! To enter the drawing and win one of their great prizes, simply comment on a  QI initiative  or comment in the PHQIX  Community Forum  by Jan. 2. The Community Forum is a platform for public health practitioners to discuss issues related to quality improvement in public health. Start a discussion or share your insight on recent forum topics, such as  QI trainings for staff  and  maintaining momentum around QI in organizations.

New QI Tool: Community Stakeholder Services Map
The Public Health Foundation (PHF) released a new quality improvement tool that can assist your community health improvement team identify services affiliated with a community health issue. Use the Community Stakeholder Services Map to develop a visual representation of where services are being provided and their locations relative to each other. If you have any questions or to share how your organization is using this tool, please contact Julie Sharp, PHF's performance improvement specialist.

Webinar to Introduce the New TRAIN Learning Network Platform
Join PHF on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. ET for a webinar to introduce the TRAIN Learning Network's new platform, which makes it even easier to find and take quality improvement courses and trainings. The webinar will demonstrate new features that will be available to learners on the national TRAIN website starting on Jan. 30, including a mobile-friendly platform, modern design, simplified account creation, improved advanced course search, streamlined learning records, and more. Learn more about the webinar and register today to participate.

Local Health Department Uses QI Tools to Mobilize Community Partners Around Zika
While Florida may be at the epicenter of  elevating Zika concerns in the continental U.S., health departments across the south and other affected areas are also tackling this challenge head-on. In Alabama, Cheryl Clay, the public health senior environmentalist for the Madison County Health Department, is leading an innovative approach using quality improvement tools as a framework to "work together as a community to minimize the number of mosquitoes in the environment." Read more about Cheryl's community-wide approach to address Zika  in her county's backyard in a PHF Pulse blog post.

Apply Now to Host a 2017 Health Career Connection Intern
Health Career Connection (HCC) is currently accepting applications for its Summer 2017 Internship Program. Host organizations participating in the program will receive support from HCC to facilitate an efficient recruiting process of top-quality candidates. HCC interns participate in the 10-week internship program, where they are immersed in public health work while supporting the host organization. The cost to support an intern is $6,900, which covers the full intern stipend, workshops and trainings from leaders in the field, networking opportunities, and meals at certain events.  Visit the Health Career Connection website to learn more about becoming a host organization. 
Accreditation Support Initiative Awardees Announced
ASTHO, NACCHO, and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), with support from CDC's Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, are pleased to announce the selection of   39   territorial and freely associated state tribal and   local   health departments for the Accreditation Support Initiative (ASI). This is the second cohort of territorial ASI awards, third cohort of Tribal ASI awards, and sixth cohort of local ASI awards. The ASI will support awardees to advance their readiness to apply for accreditation through PHAB. Each ASI awardee will design and implement a project towards achieving one or more of the standards for public health accreditation. 

Current awardees include:
  • Boone County Health Department, Illinois
  • Chester County Health Department, Pennsylvania
  • Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma
  • Clallam County Health and Human Services, Washington
  • Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
  • Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon
  • Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon
  • Department of Health and Community Wellness, Newark, New Jersey
  • Detroit Health Department, Michigan
  • East Shore District Health Department, Connecticut
  • Essex County Public Health, New York
  • Fond du Lac County Health Department, Wisconsin
  • Grand Forks Public Health Department, North Dakota
  • Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, Guam
  • Hancock Public Health, Ohio
  • Ho-Chunk Nation, Wisconsin
  • Hocking County Health Department, Ohio
  • Holmes County Health Department, Ohio
  • Horizon Public Health, Minnesota
  • Jackson County Health Department, Missouri
  • Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan
  • Lake County Health Services, California
  • Lane County Public Health, Oregon
  • Marshall County Health Department, Kentucky
  • Ministry of Health, Republic of the Marshall Islands
  • Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi
  • Monroe Health Department, Connecticut
  • Northeast Colorado Health Department, Colorado
  • Osage Nation, Oklahoma
  • Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Arizona
  • Pomperaug District Department of Health, Connecticut
  • Public Health Solutions District Health Department, Nebraska
  • Reno County Health Department, Kansas
  • Richmond City Health Department, Virginia
  • Scott County Health Department, Iowa
  • Sonoma County Department of Health Services, California
  • Uncas Health District, Connecticut
  • Washington County Health Department, Maryland
  • Wedco District Health Department, Kentucky
For more information, please contact  Joya Coffman , ASTHO's director of performance improvement,  Karrie Joseph , NIHB's public health program manager, or  Melissa Mayer , NACCHO's program analyst for performance improvement.

We enjoy your participation in the Quality Connection E-Blast and welcome contributions. If you would like to highlight your agency or a program going on in your state, please contact accreditation@astho.org  at ASTHO to contribute an update for a future issue.

We hope you and your loved ones had a peaceful holiday season, and look forward to continuing to support you in the new year. 

Sincerely,

ASTHO Performance and Quality Staff

ASTHO Board of Directors
 
Presi dent: Jay Butler, MD (AK)
President-Elect: Brenda Fitzgerald, MD (GA)
Secretary-Treasurer: John M. Wiesman, DrPH, MPH (WA)
Immediate Past President: Edward P. Ehlinger, MD, MSPH (MN)
Past President: Marissa Levine, MD, MPH (VA)

 Regional Representatives
 I: Harry L. Chen, MD (VT)
II: Howard A. Zucker, MD, JD (NY)
III: Marissa Levine, MD, MPH (VA)
IV: Mary Currier, MD, MPH (MS)
V: Karen McKeown, MSN, RN (WI)
VI: Nathaniel Smith, MD, MPH (AR)
VII: Gerd W. Clabaugh, MPA (IA)
VIII: Wendy E. Braund, MD, MPH, MSEd, FACPM (WY) 
IX: James W. Gillan, MS, HSA (GU)
X: Elke Shaw-Tullock, MHS (ID)

 Ex-Officio
ASTHO Executive Director: Michael Fraser, PhD, CAE, FCPP
Rep. Senior Deputies Committee: Arturo Brito, MD, MPH (NJ)
Rep. Affiliate Council: John W. Robitscher, MPH (National Association of Chronic Disease Directors) 
Alumni Board Member: David L. Lakey, MD (alumnus, TX)