Using the Environmental Public Health Performance Standards to improve environmental health infrastructure and services to tribal communities

The Albuquerque and Portland Area Divisions of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) programs have piloted the use of the national Environmental Public Health Performance Standards for the Indian Health Service (EnvPHPS). The DEHS has implemented the 10 Essential Environmental Health Services (ES) into its operating philosophy and has been using the ES as its systems framework for over five years. Since the EnvPHPS are based on the 10 ES, using the Standards has been a natural program extension.

In both Areas, three common gaps were identified for performance improvement: 1. Monitor environmental and health status to identify and solve community environmental health problems; 5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community environmental health efforts; and 9. Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population based environmental health services. Initiatives for improvement have included enhancement of data systems and analysis, development of a community environmental health profile methodology, strategic planning, uniform operating guidelines, and customer satisfaction assessments. Although still in the process of implementing action steps to enhance capacity, benefits to the program and the American Indian tribal communities we serve have been realized. The DEHS is committed to continued use of the Standards to improve its program. This session will identify the benefits of using this national tool, and will provide information to other tribal, state, and local agencies interested in using the tool to improve their environmental health services.