OPH Newsletter - 2022 Louisiana State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Workgroups

OPH Newsletter | July 2022

State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Workgroups Have Begun

The OPH Bureau of Planning and Performance hosted the 2022 Louisiana State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Workgroup Virtual Kick-Off Event on June 27, 2022. Over 200 participants joined the call representing community members, public health professionals, and community organizations from across the state. The meeting kicked off the SHIP priority area workgroups, which will focus on the development of the SHIP in the priority areas of Behavioral Health, Chronic Disease, Maternal and Child Health, and Community Safety.

The work of the SHIP will be split into two phases: SHIP Development (Phase 1) and SHIP Implementation (Phase 2). During Phase 1, workgroup members will develop goals, measurable objectives, and strategies to address root causes and health inequities that contribute to poor health outcomes. This phase will take place over the next 3-5 months. During Phase 2, the workgroups will focus on implementing the strategies and activities identified in Phase 1. This will include participating in partnerships and engaging with community stakeholders, tracking data, and reporting progress.

Participants at the June kick-off meeting moved into workgroup-specific breakout rooms and conducted asset mapping using Jamboard to identify resources to help address issues within the priority areas. The information will be used to identify resource gaps and inequities and create actionable objectives. This process demonstrates to the community that their input is valuable and necessary to complete this work. Subsequent workgroup meeting dates and times will be announced soon.

Asset Mapping example from SHIP Kickoff Meeting 2022

If you are interested in joining us in our work on developing the SHIP, please click HERE to sign up for a workgroup and get involved!

OPH Spotlights: Caleb Smith

Caleb Smith is from Jena, LA and has been a Sanitarian for eight years. He's been married to his wife Jeannie for ten years, and they have two children, Autry and Julianne. During his spare time, he enjoys chasing his kids from ballpark to ballpark and hunting.

Caleb never expected to be a Public Health Inspector, but he finds the profession rewarding, knowing that he's had a part in protecting the citizens of Louisiana, as well as its many visitors.

Caleb strives to do the best he can in order to protect the public. Over the last eight years, he's learned so much about public health that he never realized even existed. He enjoys meeting new clients and helping them to achieve their goals.

Read more here!

CDC Recognizes Louisiana Public Health Professionals

To help mark the 20th anniversary of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program, the CDC recognizes public health preparedness professionals who have made lasting contributions to the field of public health emergency preparedness.

Join us as we celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of the 2022 PHEP Trailblazers, Doris Gray Brown and Kayla Guerrero, whose careers in public health emergency preparedness have spanned 20 or more years, and 2022 PHEP Pathfinder, Katildra McDonald, who though early in her preparedness career has demonstrated effective leadership, innovation, and a willingness to contribute to the broader preparedness community.

The accomplishments and experiences of these extraordinary individuals speak to the contributions Louisiana’s public health preparedness professionals have made in the history of the PHEP program. Through their extraordinary achievements and commitments, these honorees have helped to build a stronger, more resilient Louisiana.

2022 PHEP Trailblazers

Doris Gray Brown, Assistant Secretary, Office of Public Health

Kayla Guerrero, Former Public Health Emergency Response Coordinator, Region 3 Administrator, Office of Public Health

2022 PHEP Pathfinder

Katildra McDonald, Administrative Program Specialist, Bureau of Community Preparedness, Office of Public Health

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LDH Region 5

Our Southwest Louisiana Strong Story

Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit

June 17, 2022

Back Row, Left to Right: Ashley Marin (OPH Antibiotic Resistance Prevention Coordinator), Dr. Brett Dragomer (Ochsner Medical Center of New Orleans), Dr. Gregory Cook (Children’s Hospital of New Orleans), and Dr. Travis King (Ochsner Medical Center of New Orleans).

Front Row, Left to Right: Dr. Joanne Maffei (LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans), Dr. Nicole Alilaen (University Medical Center at New Orleans), Dr. Fatima Brakta (OPH/University Medical Center at New Orleans), and Dr. Shantel Hébert-Magee (OPH Region 1 Medical Director).

The Healthcare-associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance (HAI/AR) Program held the second Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit on Friday, June 17, 2022, at the Holiday Inn New Orleans-Downtown Superdome.

Approximately 90 in-person and virtual attendees heard presentations from speakers representing public health and provider partners committed to stopping the spread of existing and emerging infectious threats.

The activity was chaired by Dr. Grace Lee, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section medical consultant and HAI/AR Program antibiotic stewardship lead, and Dr. Fatima Brakta, HAI/AR Program antibiotic resistance surveillance expert.

National Association of State Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Officials

June 20-23, 2022

Members of the Bureau of EMS staff attended the National Association of State EMS Officials on June 20-23.

At the membership meeting on Thursday, Bureau of EMS Director, Susan Bailey provided a presentation on their efforts to deliver and administer the COVID-19 vaccine to all First Responders throughout the state.

This effort resulted in over 20,000 doses administered.

Access Full-Text Journal Articles & Much More through the Public Health Digital Library

Need access to trusted journals, e-books, and databases to support your work? OPH staff members can access these resources through the Public Health Digital Library (PHDL). The PHDL is a program of the National Public Health Coordination office funded by the NIH’s National Library of Medicine.

You can access the Public Health Digital Library anytime at https://nphco.tdnetdiscover.com.

Depending on your IP address, you may be able to enter the site automatically, but if you are prompted to register, just follow the instructions to create a username, or click here to do so.

For any questions, contact Katie Cain (Bureau of Planning and Performance) at [email protected]

Has Your New Staff Been Enrolled in Enboarder?

Please make sure all state and contract new hires are entered into Enboarder. This platform gives them a great onboarding experience that makes them feel welcome.

Click here to sign up new hires.

Contact [email protected] if you need assistance.

Quality Improvement Corner:

SMART Objectives

Submitted by Emily Andrus, Continuous Quality Improvement Manager

When setting out to do Quality Improvement projects, or any project really, it is important to have well-defined objectives. The CDC says, “Objectives are the basis for monitoring implementation of your strategies and progress toward achieving your program goals”. When your team defines strong objectives your team will set itself up for success. There are a number of different ways to write high quality objectives. The following will review SMART objective writing.

What makes something a SMART objective? SMART is an acronym for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-phased. By including all elements of the SMART acronym, your team will find their objectives robust and reliable.

Specific. The objective should identify who or what is being targeted. The team should limit the objective to only having one verb, as each objective should only address one thing. It is okay to address more than one thing in a project, but each should have its own objective. Vague verbs should be avoided. The more specific your team can be, the better.

Measureable. The objective should address how your team plans to measure the outcome. Your team will need to include how much change is desired and where the measurement of the current state exists. This will provide a reference point from which the change can be compared.

Achievable. Your team should take into consideration timing and resources. The objective should be written in a way that is attainable within those constraints.

Realistic (or Relevant). The objective should address the scope of the problem. It is also helpful if the team includes steps that need to be taken and when within the established time frame those steps occur.

Time-phased. Objectives should not be written to be open-ended. The objective should include language that addresses when measurements will be taken or when the objective will be met. By making your objective time-phased the team will find planning and evaluation much easier.

Example:

Not SMART: I want to run more often.

SMART: I am going to follow an intermediate runner’s program from RUN.com to double my current 5K run distance without stopping by January 2023.

Reference:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, November 18). Writing SMART Objectives. CDC.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief3b.pdf

Immunization Program Launches Podcast Series, Vax Matters

Vax Matters, a new podcast series from OPH’s Immunization Program, has released seven episodes in a planned 36 podcast series over the coming year.

The podcast, with a new episode being released every two weeks, takes a deep dive and explores the history and future of vaccines, as well as addresses facts, misconceptions, and myths on a variety of immunization topics.

In each episode, host Diane Deaton, a former TV personality and weathercaster for WAFB 9News in Baton Rouge, along with a guest host, speaks with medical and infectious disease experts from Louisiana, as well as across the country, to address that episode’s topic.

In a two-part episode, Dr. Frank Welch, a leading national expert on immunizations and former Medical Director for the Immunization Program, discusses the history of vaccines. During the episodes, Welch walks listeners through the origin of modern vaccines beginning with smallpox through the polio epidemic. Welch explains why some vaccines are grouped and how it is decided which flu strain will be used each year for the vaccine.

Another episode features Dr. Joe Kanter, state health officer, who discusses the COVID vaccine and recounts the past two years of living during the current pandemic. Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, OB-GYN, talks about vaccines and fertility, and Dr. Shantel Hebert-Magee, OPH’s Region 1 medical director, leads a conversation about medical mistrust.

In the trailer for the Vax Matters podcast, listeners learn, “For decades, vaccines were something most of us probably didn’t give much thought to. Then COVID happened and suddenly vaccines were all we thought about. Today, facts about vaccines matter more than ever.”

Vax Matters can be found and downloaded on all the top podcast platforms including Apple, Google Podcast, Spotify, Audible, and iHeart.