Strategies for Successful Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing

“Cross-jurisdictional sharing” (CJS) refers to the spectrum of shared approaches to public health service delivery, ranging from sharing a single service, to consolidation or merger of two or more LHDs, and the many variations in between. Increasingly, public health leaders are looking to CJS as a means for multiple local health departments (LHDs), often small and/or rural, to work collaboratively to provide services that meet the needs of their communities, respond to budget pressures and, in some cases, jointly meet the accreditation standards. The current economic crisis has led many policymakers to consider various CJS models as a strategy for cost-savings –often without a working understanding of governmental public health responsibilities and without assessing implications of their decisions on public health. Using a systems-based approach, it is possible to successfully address and accommodate the different drivers that lead public health leaders and policymakers to develop CJS arrangements. This session will feature the perspectives of public health leaders and their system partners who have experience in CJS planning, implementation and revision/expansion of existing CJS arrangements. Panelists will describe their interest in CJS, role in CJS activity, challenges, opportunities, successful strategies, and lessons learned from their efforts to date. Dr. Pezzino will moderate this session, and also will describe a new initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provides practitioners and policymakers with CJS-related tools and technical assistance.