263355 Evaluating Impacts of Local Health Department Consolidation: The Case of Summit County Ohio

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 3:10 PM - 3:30 PM

John Hoornbeek, MPA, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management , Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Tegan Beechey, MPA, Doctoral Student in Public Health Policy & Management , College of Public Health, Kent State University, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Aimee Budnik, MS, RD, LD and Doctoral Student in Prevention Science , College of Public Health, Kent State University, Kent, OH
     
Local health departments are being challenged to develop new and cost effective strategies to “do more with less” in the delivery of public health services. One strategy for addressing this challenge is to consolidate local health departments to achieve economies of scale, which may yield cost savings and service improvements (Mays, et al, 2006). This presentation documents outcomes associated with the consolidation of the Barberton, Akron, and Summit County Health departments in Ohio during the 2011 calendar year. It thus provides information to assist local public health systems in delivering more cost effective services, as well as new insights that can be used by researchers involved in assessing the impacts of local health department consolidations.

The presentation is drawn from a project involving researchers from Kent State University's (KSU) College of Public Health and Center for Public Administration, as well as staff from the Summit County Department of Health. The project is being conducted during the first half of 2012 and utilizes a multiple-method approach to identify implementation challenges and impacts of the Summit County health department consolidation during its first year of implementation, 2011. The presentation includes insights from department leadership, perceptions of department staff, and targeted information collected from area stakeholders and clients. This perceptual information is supplemented by data on financial impacts and changes in service provision approaches. Preliminary information suggests that the process of consolidation has yielded positive financial impacts and service improvement opportunities.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Attendees at this presentation should be able to: - Identify impacts and challenges associated with the consolidation of health departments in Summit County, Ohio and assess whether the consolidation of health departments in their areas might yield similar impacts and challenges; - Describe an impact evaluation approach for local health department consolidation that may be applicable to efforts to assess the impact of health department consolidations in other areas of the United States.

Keywords: Community Capacity, Management

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health at Kent State University. I have conducted studies on the extent, nature, and impacts of collaborations among local governments, including health departments. I also have substantial experience as a practitioner, much of it relating to Public Health. I have worked for the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Wisconsin Legislature, and the U.S. Congress.
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.

Back to: 3324.0: Invited Session - Consolidating Local Public Health Departments to Expand Capacity & Improve Public Health Outcomes: Evidence from Ohio