GENERAL PROJECT
Q: Is the no-cost training and technical assistance provided through this project available to accredited public health agencies as well?
A: Yes. No-cost training and TA is available through this project to all agencies – accredited and non-accredited – and is contingent upon the agency completing the assessment. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) will be reviewing requests for technical assistance to determine whether to use funding from this project.
Q: What is meant by shared service arrangements?
A: Shared service arrangements are a means by which agencies and communities can work across jurisdictional boundaries to deliver public health services. Shared services fall on a continuum from informal agreements to formalized mergers.
Q: Who will make decisions about how a LHD should consider applying for accreditation – Ohio Department of Health or the Center for Public Health Practice?
A: Neither. Local communities have the autonomy and flexibility to decide how they will apply for accreditation.
ASSESSMENT & WORK PLANS
Q: Do the assessments include a site visit?
A: No, there will be no site visits. All data will be collected through secondary (existing sources) and an online survey.
Q: Are the assessments only for non-accredited health departments?
A: No, all agencies are encouraged to participate. The assessments also serve to create a profile of LHDs in Ohio as well as assess accreditation readiness. LHDs will only be asked to answer questions based on where they indicate they are in the accreditation process – those who are already accredited or who are awaiting a site visit or determination from the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) will not be presented with the accreditation readiness questions.
Q: Why do the assessments include questions about programs/services offered by the LHD? This is not related to accreditation-readiness.
A: ODH is interested in building a profile of LHDs to better understand the types of programs and services being offered to Ohio residents. All financial information is coming from secondary sources, primarily the 2015 AFR.
Q: I work for an agency that is considering merging with another LHD. Should each agency complete their own assessment, or should we complete one together since we may be merging in the future.
A: Each agency should complete the assessments individually.
Q: We’ve heard that each local health department will have to complete an “action” plan by March 2017. Is this the same as a work plan?
A: This project is requesting a work plan. It is distinct from an Action Plan that may be required by PHAB following documentation review and site visit. In early descriptions of this project, the ODH-requested document was referenced as an action plan, however to eliminate confusion it is now being called a work plan.
Q: If my agency is accredited, do we have to complete a work plan?
A: No
Q: What can you tell me about the work plan requirement?
A: An Excel-based template for the work plan will be developed. Organizations that are not currently using a process to plan for and track progress toward accreditation will be asked to submit this template. Agencies already planning and tracking their progress in a work plan format will be asked to incorporate the template milestones into their existing plan and submit that plan instead of a new template. Submission will occur twice a year beginning in April 2017. The work plan will contain fewer than 20 key milestones to track. Milestones will be based on the PHAB Accreditation Readiness Checklists, completion of the 8 prerequisites, and several steps that occur once an organization submits an application to PHAB. Optional milestones will address the pursuit of shared services for agencies exploring those arrangements to assist in service provision.
Page updated 10/2016