NC MLC-2 Projects
The Multi-State Learning Collaborative for Performance and Capacity Assessment or Accreditation of Public Health Departments (Multi-State Learning Collaborative-2, for short) is sponsored by the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), the Public Health Leadership Society (PHLS), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
North Carolina is one of ten states selected to participate in this initiative to assess quality improvement (QI) strategies to enhance the work of public health departments. The ten state projects are expected to produce models for action nationwide. The North Carolina MLC-2 program is a collaborative of the NC Institute for Public Health, the NC Division of Public Health, and the NC Association of Local Health Directors.
Regional Performance Improvement Workshops
As part of the NC Multi-State Learning Collaborative projects, the NC Division of Public Health and the NC Institute for Public Health offered an in-person all day training on performance improvement. This training, designed for NC local health department staff, exploree in-depth the role of quality and performance improvement to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization. Materials from the workshops are now available.
Quality Improvement: Keeps Accreditation Flying
As part of the NC Multi-State Learning Collaborative projects, the NC Division of Public Health and the NC Institute for Public Health presented a PHTIN training on quality improvement On October 16, 2007. This training, designed for NC local health department staff, explored the role of quality and performance improvement to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization. View the videoconference
What is QI?
"The concept of quality improvement is gaining momentum and becoming more relevant for public health as health departments work to meet performance standards and begin to position themselves to participate in accreditation efforts. We encourage you to explore these resources to inform your quality and performance improvement efforts."
NACCHO website
The NC MLC - Accreditation Learning Collaborative conducted four projects during MLC-2. The emphasis of the projects will be to conceive, develop and implement quality improvement strategies for the NC Local Health Department Accreditation program (NCLHDA). We will also contribute to broader public health community quality improvement approaches through several projects.
Project 1: Improving NC Local Health Department Accreditation Through Collaboration with Other States
Through our participation in MLC-1, we learned about innovative accreditation and performance assessment programs in the other states that we could potentially incorporate into the NCLHDA. In MLC-2, we will explore two of these innovations to improve aspects of the NCLHDA.
Innovation 1: Incorporate Quality Improvement Training into NC Programs.
Innovation 2: Add a Model Practices Component to the NC Local Health Department Accreditation Program.
Project 2: Technical Assistance for Accreditation Road Map
In MLC-1, the NC MLC - Accreditation Learning Collaborative created the Accreditation Road Map for state partnerships to use as a guide for developing an accreditation program. In MLC-2, we will work with states creating accreditation programs to pilot test the tool, refine the tool, and provide technical assistance to use the tool. Go to the Road Map.
Project 3: Linking Accreditation to Quality Improvement in Local Health Departments
As the NCLHDA looks to re-accreditation and moving from capacity to quality, the NC MLC - Accreditation Learning Collaborative will create a process to promote quality improvement strategies in NC local health departments (LHDs) related to accreditation. Through this project, we will examine the impact of the Public Health Improvement Fund, a project of MLC-1, and identify additional quality improvement strategies to foster LHD quality improvement processes as part of NCLHDA.
Project 4: Improving State Systems Through Accreditation
NC DPH and the Division of Environmental Health is using the National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) state tool (CDC 2006) as a framework for state accreditation standards. A committee composed of the representatives of the three partners (DPH, DEH, NCALHD, and NCIPH) developed the modified document to be used for the pilot state accreditation process. This adaptation is a new use of the NPHPSP state tool and NC is the only state to conduct an accreditation review using a modified version of this tool. We will evaluate use of the NPHPSP tool as an accreditation standards framework for DPH and potentially for other state health departments.