Use of Business Process Analysis and Leadership Redesign to Cross Borders and Foster Inter-Departmental Synergy and Collaboration between Disciplines: The Kane County Health Department Experience

The Kane County Health Department serves a diverse and rapidly growing population of 480,000 residents 40 miles west of Chicago. Under the new Executive leadership of Paul Kuehnert MS,RN the Senior Leadership team was redesigned to foster cross-departmental synergy and collaboration.

A new Division of Health Protection was formed and the Communicable Disease, Environmental Health and Preparedness Sections were placed under single leadership. Business Process Analysis was utilized as a methodology and logical framework in the redesign and has provided unique opportunities to assess and reorganize interdepartmental communication and other processes related to food, water and disease protection as well as Public Health Emergency Preparedness.

This promising future model has allowed the Kane County Health Department to cross disciplines and organizational boundaries and to form "STRIKE TEAMS" with representatives of all disciplines and hierarchy who can respond to urgent or emergent community needs such as floods and disease outbreaks.

The Health Department has had this model in place for 7 months and has been able to already identify new and integrated processes such as our Emergency After Hours Notification and Blast Fax Systems that have been improved allowing for rapid, integrated and more efficient Public Health Response.