258439 Local Strategies for Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Gene Nixon, MPA , Administration, Summit County Public Health, Stow, OH
“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. The presenting author, a local health official involved in CJS planning, implementation and revision/expansion of existing CJS arrangements, will describe why he/her decided to explore/pursue CJS, his/her role in CJS activity, challenges, opportunities, successful strategies, and lessons learned from efforts to date. (This panelist will be selected from sites funded by RWJF through a new CJS initiative; selections will be made in August 2012.)

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Public health administration or related administration
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the value of cross-jurisdictional sharing (CJS) arrangements for governmental public health services 2. Identify components of a system-based approach to engaging in CJS planning and implementation 3. Describe strategies for successful planning and implementation of CJS arrangements

Keywords: Challenges and Opportunities, Health Departments

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Gene Nixon has been health commissioner for Summit County Public Health since 2000. Previously he worked for Cuyahoga County Health Department in environmental health, policy planning and community health programs. His career began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand and he has since worked on public health projects in Croatia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Rwanda and Thailand. Gene received a biology degree from The University of Akron and masters in public administration from Cleveland State University.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.