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Greetings from PHAB,
We can't believe that it's already a new year, and the entire PHAB staff is excited about this year's potential. There are a number of new and improved projects underway at PHAB, and we will share those with you throughout the next several newsletters. Our collective New Year's resolution is to work to make accreditation as beneficial as possible for health departments and the communities that you serve. We also commit to working closely with all of you to continue to grow and improve the accreditation services that we provide.
This newsletter contains some of our recent activities related to training, conferences, and think tanks. It also contains two really significant PHAB policy changes of which you need to be aware. The first relates to the status of one of PHAB's approaches to accreditation for local health departments in centralized states. The other relates to a change in PHAB's interpretation of the types of documentation that can be submitted for review. We are pleased to make you aware of these changes, both of which are examples of PHAB's continued growth as a learning organization.
If your health department is accredited, we hope that your New Year's resolution is to strengthen your quality improvement culture. If your health department is not yet accredited, we hope that your New Year's resolution is to get those prerequisites done and your application submitted. Either way, we wish you a happy and healthy 2015!
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Issue #56
January/February 2015
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Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN
President and CEO
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PHAB RELEASES POLICY CHANGES
PHAB Issues New Guidance on Documentation for Accreditation
Based on numerous comments and requests from the field, PHAB has issued new guidance on the appropriateness of examples of activities for use as documentation for accreditation. A new tip sheet is now available that both explains a change in PHAB interpretation of appropriate examples and further clarifies PHAB policy. The tip sheet is provided to guide health departments as they prepare documentation for accreditation and Site Visitors as they assess health departments' documentation. The focus of the PHAB Standards and Measures remains population-based disease prevention, health protection, and health promotion. "Population-based health are interventions aimed at disease prevention and health promotion that affect an entire population and extend beyond medical treatment by targeting underlying risks, such as tobacco, diet and sedentary lifestyles, and environmental factors." (Turnock, Bernard, "Public Health: What It Is and How It Works." Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, Inc., 1997.) Population-based prevention, health protection, and health promotion activities that address substance abuse, mental health, and family/partner violence are appropriate for use as PHAB documentation. Previously, PHAB interpreted all activities related to substance abuse, mental health, and family/partner violence as social/human services and not appropriate to use as examples for documentation for accreditation. Based on input from the field, the PHAB Accreditation Improvement Committee, and the PHAB Board of Directors, PHAB has revised its interpretation of these program areas. Population-based prevention, health protection, and health promotion activities that address substance abuse, mental health, and family/partner violence are appropriate to use as documentation for PHAB accreditation. Individual patient care and associated interventions, whether provided in the clinic, home, or other facility such as a school or correctional facility, and case management components are not included in PHAB's scope of authority and are not appropriate for use as documentation. This policy has not changed. Click here to access the newly issued tip sheet, which provides interpretation, guidance, and examples. Questions may be referred to PHAB Chief Program Officer Robin Wilcox at rwilcox@phaboard.org or a PHAB Accreditation Specialist.
PHAB Temporarily Suspends CSILPHDS Application Option
As the readers of this newsletter may recall, PHAB has several potential application avenues available to local health departments in centralized public health department systems. One option is for the local health department (LHD) to apply as a single LHD, the same as any other local health department. A second option is for the LHD to apply as an in-state district or region. And the final option is for the state to apply on behalf of some or all of its local health departments. The latter option is called the Centralized States Integrated Local Public Health Department System (CSILPHDS) option.
PHAB is completing its first CSILPHDS accreditation review, and will be working with NORC at the University of Chicago to evaluate that approach to accreditation. We expect that evaluation to take a few months. It is possible that PHAB will make some adjustments to the CSILPHDS process based on that evaluation. Therefore, PHAB is suspending the submission of CSILPHDS applications until the evaluation is completed and changes have been made. Any state intending to apply through that option can proceed with completion of the initial requirement of accomplishing state health department accreditation. Only the integrated local component of accreditation will be affected by this suspension. Please direct questions or comments to Robin Wilcox.
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PHAB BOARD OF DIRECTORS: News & Notes
PHAB Welcomes Two New Board Members
PHAB is pleased to announce that Ron Chapman, MD, MPH, and Jewel Mullen, MD, MPH, MPA, have been appointed to three-year terms on PHAB's Board of Directors.
Dr. Chapman has served as Director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
 since June 2011. A board-certified family physician, he has dedicated his career to public health, medicine, and caring for the uninsured and underinsured in California. Prior to becoming the director of CDPH, Dr. Chapman served as chief medical officer for Partnership HealthPlan of California, a managed care Medi-Cal plan serving Yolo, Solano, Napa, and Sonoma counties. For six years prior to that, Dr. Chapman was the public health officer and deputy director of public health in Solano County, California. From 1998 to 2004, he worked at the California Department of Health Services as the founding chief of the Medicine and Public Health Section. Dr. Chapman holds a medical degree from the University of Southern California, a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine.
 Dr. Mullen has served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH) since December 2010. Focusing on improving the health of all people, especially the underserved, her career features a combination of clinical work, research, teaching, and administration. Among her many accomplishments, she presently serves as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. In 2012 Dr. Mullen was appointed to serve on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Health Disparities, a subcommittee of the Advisory Committee to the Director. Board certified in internal medicine, she is a graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Mullen received her graduate and undergraduate public health degrees from Yale University. She also holds a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. |
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Population Served by a PHAB-Accredited Health Department Now Totals 111 Million
Demonstrating the capacity to provide the highest quality of services to their communities, six more public health departments were awarded national accreditation in December. The decisions bring 40.5 million more people into the growing family of communities that can be assured their health departments are meeting important national standards. The decisions also mark new milestones as Maryland and Texas have now joined the family of states with accredited health departments, and the state health department in California is now the PHAB-accredited health department serving the largest population.
Sixty health departments have thus far been awarded five-year accreditation status, bringing the total population now served by a PHAB-accredited health department to more than 111 million.
National accreditation status was awarded Dec. 9, 2014 to the California Department of Public Health in Sacramento, California; Frederick County Health Department in Frederick, Maryland; Green River District Health Department in Owensboro, Kentucky; Houston Department of Health and Human Services in Houston, Texas; Salt Lake County Health Department in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Worcester County Health Department in Snow Hill, Maryland.
Serving approximately 38 million people, the California Department of Public Health is now the PHAB-accredited health department serving the largest U.S. population.
"While the accreditation process reflects on what the California Department of Public Health has done well, we know the real value of accreditation is for every community in California," said Ron Chapman, MD, MPH, California State Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health. "Accreditation means that key community health problems are being tackled and that we are better prepared to deliver the highest quality public health services in the 21st century."
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Frederick, Maryland County Executive Jan Gardner, left, presents PHAB's official accreditation recognition plaque to Barbara Brookmyer, MD, health officer of the Frederick County Health Department, at a January 20, 2015 celebration.
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New PHAB Video Explores "Life After an Action Plan" Health departments that do not receive a status of "accredited" are given a list of opportunities for improvement that support the development of an accreditation Action Plan. PHAB views the Action Plan as a normal part of the review process and as an important vehicle for receiving feedback from the Accreditation Committee so that the health department can ultimately be successful in achieving accreditation.  | |
Bruce Dart polishes his on-camera persona during the Dec. 9, 2014 filming of "Life After an Action Plan."
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To raise awareness of the Action Plan's importance and to foster a greater understanding of the Action Plan's numerous benefits to the health department, PHAB contracted with Washington, D.C.-based Dahlman-Cook Productions to create a new video titled "Life After an Action Plan." In the video, Rex Archer, MD, director of health at the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department, and Bruce Dart, PhD, executive director of the Tulsa Health Department, share their personal experiences after each of their health departments received an Action Plan in March 2013. Dr. Archer, a member of PHAB's Board of Directors as well as a member of PHAB's Accreditation Committee, and Dr. Dart, a member of PHAB's Accreditation Committee, reveal how their health departments utilized and leveraged their respective Action Plans to become stronger and better organizations. Targeted to health department directors and accreditation coordinators, "Life After an Action Plan" will debut this spring on PHAB's website. Vital Statistics Working Group Gathers for January Meeting One of PHAB's newest projects relates to exploring the potential for accreditation of the state health department's vital records and health statistics units. A working group made up of representatives of state health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS), met January 14-15 in PHAB's Alexandria, Virginia, offices for the purpose of furthering this work.
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Members of the Vital Statistics Working Group paused for a photo on January 14, 2015.
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PHAB Presents and Exhibits at APHA's Annual Meeting PHAB and accreditation were much in the spotlight at the 142nd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association in New Orleans in November. From a Learning Institute to presentations and a popular booth in the event's exhibit hall, PHAB provided educational resources, shared information, and gathered feedback from hundreds of public health practitioners, national partners, and stakeholders. PHAB's Nov. 18 session, titled "Public Health Department Accreditation: Answering the 'So What?' Question," drew a standing-room-only audience to hear panelists discuss early findings from PHAB's evaluation initiatives. Information about PHAB's 2015 schedule of presentations and exhibits is available on the PHAB website.  | |
At a Nov. 16, 2014 Learning Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana, PHAB Accreditation Education Specialist David Stone, standing, far right, discussed how to asses and select documentation using PHAB Standards and Measures Version 1.5.
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PHAB's Calendar Highlights Training Events PHAB's Learning Center continues to be a hub of activity. In November, 11 new Accreditation Coordinators arrived at the Alexandria, Virginia, facility to receive two days of hands-on training. Accreditation Coordinators are required to participate in PHAB training before their health departments can begin to submit documentation of conformity with the PHAB Standards and Measures. Upon completing the training, attendees return home with a clear picture of what to expect during the accreditation process. In addition, 16 public health practitioners gathered in PHAB's Learning Center in November for two days of Site Visitor training. Site Visitors play a critical role in PHAB's accreditation process by reviewing health department documentation, visiting health departments, and writing the Site Visit Report on which the Accreditation Committee bases its decisions. PHAB continues to seek individuals interested in applying to be Site Visitors. For more information or to learn about the qualifications required, contact PHAB Volunteer Services Manager Jeff Lake at 703-778-4549, ext. 110, via email at jlake@phaboard.org, or visit www.e-phab.org and click on "Register as a Site Visitor."  | |
Sixteen new Site Visitors were trained in November at PHAB's Alexandria, Virginia, training facility.
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Update on Upcoming Accreditation Coordinator Trainings PHAB hosts required in-person applicant trainings for Accreditation Coordinators on a quarterly basis at PHAB's Alexandria, Virginia offices. The in-person, two-day trainings consist of both didactic and discussion methods to provide a detailed description of what to expect in the remaining steps of the accreditation process, as well as critical factors for successful completion toward PHAB accreditation. Content includes training on how to use the Documentation Submission module in e-PHAB, tips for selecting documentation, preparation for and participation in the Site Visit, accreditation decisions, and annual reports. The training is for groups of PHAB applicants and consists of up to 24 participants at a time. The accreditation fee that the health department pays covers the travel and training costs for the health department's Accreditation Coordinator. Health departments may choose to send one additional person to the training to attend with the Accreditation Coordinator, but the additional person is responsible for arranging and paying for their travel to the training. Currently, the cost for an additional trainee is $850.00. This fee covers hotel lodging for two nights, meals provided during the training, and training materials. PHAB's current 2015 applicant training schedule is included below. Please note that PHAB has the option to add extra trainings if numbers warrant: Quarter Months Next Training Date 1st Quarter January-March May 19-20, 2015 2nd Quarter April-June August 11-12, 2015 3rd Quarter July-September November 17-18, 2015 4th Quarter October-December Mid-February 2016 Trainings are held approximately six weeks after a quarter ends, and health departments are eligible to attend the closest training to the quarter in which they paid their accreditation fee. PHAB Program Specialist Travis Parker Lee provides training details to Accreditation Coordinators periodically during each quarter, but he is available to answer questions and concerns at any time and can be reached at tlee@phaboard.org or via phone at 703-778-4549, ext. 102. |
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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
PHAB's National Technical Assistance Partners Gather in December
In an effort to provide high quality, coordinated technical assistance (TA) services to public health departments working on accreditation, PHAB and its primary national partners who provide TA hold regular meetings to share information, discuss lessons learned, and to coordinate their ongoing work. In keeping with this effort, TA partners from the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Public Health Foundation, and the National Indian Health Board, gathered at PHAB's Alexandria offices on Dec. 4, 2014, for an all-day meeting.
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PHAB's national technical assistance partners paused for a photo with PHAB staff on December 4.
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PHAB is Hiring: Accreditation Specialist Sought
The Public Health Accreditation Board has posted a vacancy announcement for an Accreditation Specialist. PHAB Accreditation Specialists manage the progress of health departments through the accreditation process. This involves reviewing health department documentation online, assisting with training health departments and volunteer Site Visitors, serving as a technical resource to health departments and Site Visitors, attending site visits across the country, and communicating between key stakeholders.
The successful candidate has the ability to handle multiple projects and organize materials and people to achieve outcomes within tight timelines. This individual is able to work independently and be self-directed and self-motivated as well as work collaboratively with peers in a team-oriented environment. The successful candidate will have the ability to review large amounts of material with attention to detail.
Candidates must have an advanced degree in public health or a related field, and experience working in or with a public health department. This position is based in the PHAB offices in Alexandria, Virginia; however, the applicant must be able to travel extensively across the country.
The full job announcement is available on PHAB's website. The position will be posted until it is filled. Interested applicants should email their current CV and three professional references, in Word format, to PHAB Chief Program Officer Robin Wilcox at rwilcox@phaboard.org. The subject line should read "Accreditation Specialist."
PHAB Seeks Contract Consultant for DIS Certification Project
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) is seeking a contract consultant to work on a special project that PHAB is coordinating for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with multiple national partners. At the end of this project, PHAB will deliver to CDC recommendations for changes in the health department accreditation standards and measures aimed at strengthening the organizational capacity of health departments to support the work of the Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) in areas such as STD/STI, HIV, TB, Ebola and other communicable diseases; and Emergency Preparedness and Response. PHAB will also deliver to CDC a final report on establishing a national model of certification for DIS workers. A model for describing the scope of work to be completed by September 30, 2015 is included below.
PHAB is seeking an individual with DIS expertise to serve as content expert and project consultant to work alongside the PHAB staff. The contract is budgeted at $100 per hour for an anticipated 240 hours - $24,000. The contract runs from February-August 2015. The contractor will report to Kaye Bender, President/CEO of PHAB. Applicants must have five or more years of experience in public health/DIS work, preferably at the administrative/management level. Applicants may be current or former public health staff with DIS experience, and may be from a state or local health department. Travel to the PHAB offices may be required on an intermittent basis and travel reimbursement will be included in the contract.
The scope of work includes, but is not limited to:
- Providing consultation to PHAB regarding best practices in public health as it relates to the role of the disease intervention specialist.
- Coordinating with PHAB staff on the conduct of the meetings of the Work Group, including agenda planning and preparation of selected meeting materials.
- Providing expert advice on the role of the DIS in varying health department settings (state and local) and in varying roles.
- Providing expert advice to PHAB on best and promising practices in health departments that manage programs and services with which DIS staff work.
Individuals interested in the consultant position should forward a letter of interest, resume or CV, and the names of two references to Kaye Bender at kbender@phaboard.org.
Welcome Nathan James Chilton
The extended PHAB family continues to grow! On December 12, 2014, Marita and James Chilton celebrated the birth of their first child, Nathan James Chilton. Born at Mountain View Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nate entered the world at 11:13 p.m. weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 20 inches in length. Nate's mom, Marita, is PHAB's Accreditation Manager. The entire PHAB family joyfully joins in congratulating the Chilton family on the birth of little Nate!
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Marita and James Chilton cradle their newborn son, Nathan James Chilton, just hours after his birth on December 12, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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WORD ON THE STREET: A Round Up of Accreditation Questions and Answers1. My health department is developing a work plan for seeking accreditation. The Guide to National Public Health Accreditation states that "six months after the receipt of the SOI, PHAB will forward to the health department the link to the PHAB application form." Do we really need to wait six months between the Statement of Intent and submitting our application? It seems to me that other health departments have gone through this step in the accreditation process much more quickly than that.
No, you do not have to wait six months. That six-month time frame was originally built into the process for PHAB's planning purposes. However, we have found that we can turn around SOIs in a matter of days and we make the link to the application available to the health department as soon as we accept the SOI. For your work plan, I would build in about a week between submitting the SOI and having access to the application. You may need a week, if the PHAB staff person who reviews the SOI has any questions for your health department before the SOI can be accepted. The six months between the SOI and the application has never been and will not be enforced. 2. Who at PHAB should we contact for specific questions and technical assistance?You may contact: Mark Paepcke, Chief Administrative Officer, to talk about fees and contractual information, or e-PHAB. He may be reached at mpaepcke@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 104. Robin Wilcox, Chief Program Officer, to talk about interpretation and meaning of the PHAB Standards and Measures as well as the accreditation process. She may be reached at rwilcox@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 106. Marita Chilton, Jennifer Jimenez, Cathy Vogel, or Brittan Wood, to talk about the accreditation process for health departments. Marita may be reached at mchilton@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 114; Jennifer may be reached at jjimenez@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 107; Cathy may be reached at cvogel@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 108; and Brittan at bwood@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 115. Jeff Lake, Volunteer Services Manager, to talk about the recruitment, selection, and assignment of Site Visitors and Teams as well as PHAB's Accreditation Reserve Corps. He may be reached at jlake@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 110. David Stone, Accreditation Education Specialist, to talk about PHAB's education services, including orientations and trainings. He may be reached at dstone@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 105. Travis Parker Lee, Program Specialist, to talk about meetings, trainings, Site Visitor travel logistics, and requests for speakers. He may be reached at tlee@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 102. Genny Lush, Program Specialist, to talk about statements of intent, applications, and accreditation process issues. She may be reached at glush@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549 ext. 113. Jessica Kronstadt, Director of Research and Evaluation, to talk about public health accreditation-related research and evaluation. She may be reached at jkronstadt@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 117. Teddi Nicolaus, Communications Manager, to talk about news, media requests, marketing, and promotions. She may be reached at tnicolaus@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 118. Kaye Bender, President/CEO, to talk about accreditation-related strategies, partnerships, long-range planning at PHAB, PHAB Board of Directors, committees/think tanks, and student opportunities. She may be reached at kbender@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 103. Lisa McAllister, Office Manager, to talk about PHAB office operations and all other inquiries. She may be reached at lmcallister@phaboard.org or 703-778-4549, ext. 100. If you have a question for future segments of Word on the Street, please send them to PHAB e-newsletter editor Teddi Nicolaus.
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Public Health Accreditation Board
1600 Duke Street
Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-778-4549
Fax: 703-778-4556
For more information, visit www.phaboard.org
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