National initiative to build a prototype course on public health quality for schools and programs of public health

A preliminary review of accredited Schools of Public Health reveals that little to nothing is taught about public health quality and the application of quality improvement science and methods for the public health practitioner. A common concern among public health practitioners, researchers, and experts is the lack of progress by local public health agencies in delivering services that meet the stated mission of public health, that adhere to the ethical standards for the practice of public health, and that achieve national quality aims. Funding by the US DHHS is supporting an initiative to develop a national prototype of a Public Health Quality Course, ensuring that graduates from Schools and Programs of Public Health around the nation have an opportunity to know what quality means in the practice of public health and how to apply the science of quality improvement to improve the practice of public health. This session will review the progress to date in collecting data about the current state of Public Health Quality courses in Schools of Public Health around the nation, summaries of interviews with leading experts in the area about essential topics to include in such a course, and a look at how quality is being achieved in public health and other institutions making up the public health system. A preliminary look at the proposed end-products of this endeavor, along with guidance for use in academia, will be shared with the audience.