Oral

In early 2010, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) consulted with eight states on various projects related to accreditation preparation performance improvement. This session will describe the efforts that three of the states undertook. Participants will also hear how the National Public Health Performance Standards can contribute to performance improvement in public health systems, contribute to comprehensive statewide health assessments, and inform state health improvement plans. In Alaska, state health department staff used the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) draft standards to complete an assessment of their department to better understand their strengths and determine where improvement is needed to be successful in PHAB accreditation. The Maine Centers for Disease Control began their accreditation preparation efforts with an assessment of their state public health system using the National Public Health Performance Standards Program. In New Hampshire, state health department staff developed and implemented a systematic plan for creating a state health assessment using existing data sources. Finally, participants will hear about the activities that ASTHO has engaged in to support performance improvement in states, including the technical assistance provided to states that use the NPHPSP state assessment tool.

Session Objectives: 1. Understand the performance assessment and improvement activities occurring in three states 2. Describe how the NPHPSP system assessments can contribute to a statewide health assessment 3. Discuss the steps states are taking to prepare for accreditation