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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Virginia Kennedy, PhD1, Katrina Daniel2, David Pinter1, Mary Soto, MEd3, Claudia Blackburn, MPH4, Beth Quill, MPH5, and Hardy Loe, MD, MPH6. (1) Center for Health Policy Studies, University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, PO Box 20186, Houston, TX 77225, 713-500-9388, vkennedy@sph.uth.tmc.edu, (2) Office of Public Health Practice, Texas Department of Health, 1100 W. 49th St, Austin, TX 78756, (3) Office of Public Health Practice, Texas Dept of Health, 1100 W. 49th St, Austin, TX 78756, (4) Dept of Public Health, City of Amarillo, PO Box 1971, Amarillo, TX 79107, (5) School of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston, Center for Excellence in Public Health Practice, 1200 Herman Pressler Suite W236, Houston, TX 77030, (6) Texas Public Health Training Center, University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, PO Box 20186, Houston, TX 77225
Forty-seven local public health agencies (LPHAs) in Texas evaluated their local public health systems using a modified version of a performance assessment instrument developed by the CDC’s National Public Health Performance Standards Program. The purpose of this undertaking was two-fold: to evaluate the assessment instrument and to gather baseline data on the performance of Texas local health systems and agencies. In a concurrent inquiry we collected data on LPHA characteristics and community health characteristics from several sources including departmental reports, health department director interviews and a survey of health department employees. The objective was to determine what LPHA and community characteristics are associated with different levels of local system performance. The performance assessment instrument focuses upon the ten essential public health services; multiple indicators and model standards are associated with each essential service. We measured public health system performance as low or high based on the LPHA’s perception of the extent to which model standards are achieved in their jurisdiction. LPHA perceptions of their role in model standards achievement provided a measure of high or low local agency contribution. Across all essential services in the aggregate high system performance was associated with high agency contribution. Other characteristics associated with high system performance were larger population size, larger agency size and higher agency expenditures. Population socioeconomic status and maternal and child health indicators are unrelated to system performance but high system performance is associated with more favorable mortality indicators. The implications of these and other findings will be presented.
Learning Objectives: Following this presentation the participant will be able to
Keywords: Performance Measurement, Public Health Agency Roles
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.