Oral

Numerous efforts are underway to transform public health practice and improve the quality of public health. The National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP), first established in 1998, is one such initiative that provides tools to improve the performance of state and local public health systems and local boards of health. How does the longstanding NPHPSP fit with the groundbreaking work occurring in building a national accreditation program for state and local public health agencies? How are state and local jurisdictions using the NPHPSP as a preparatory tool for accreditation? How do the two initiatives relate and where do they differ? This session will explore these frequently asked questions and discuss the distinctions and opportunities between the NPHPSP public health system assessments and agency-focused accreditation.

Session Objectives: At the end of the session, participants should be able to: 1)Discuss the current tools and activities of both the NPHPSP and the establishment of a national accreditation program: 2)Describe how the NPHPSP instruments can be used to prepare state and local jurisdictions for accreditation: 3)Articulate the commonalities and differences of the NPHPSP and accreditation standards and measures.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing