Performance Management and Quality Improvement

The CityHealth initiative released its first-ever health policy assessment of our nation’s 40 largest cities, analyzing each city across 9 policy areas proven to make a lasting impact on health and well-being.

• Los Angeles was awarded a gold medal and recognized for its restaurant grading system, setting a gold standard for retail food grading systems.
• Chicago, the only Midwestern city recognized with a gold medal, gained high marks for setting stringent indoor air quality policies, curbing young adult tobacco use, and ensuring safe transportation of all kinds.
• Boston also took top honors, earning high marks in 5 policy areas, showcasing its work toward becoming a healthy city for all residents.

• The Boston Public Health Commission and Center for Social Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston recently published a Health Impact Assessment of Boston’s Living Wage Ordinance [PDF-3.8MB] that analyzed the relationship between health and socioeconomic status.
• The report determined that raising the living wage for the lowest paid workers in Boston by $3 an hour would result in their improved mental and physical health, including notable decreases in anxiety, hunger, and chronic health conditions.

• The BUILD Health Challenge is calling for applications [PDF–786KB] and invites collaborative proposals that will identify, highlight, and advance new models for improving community health and health equity.
• You can play a key role in the health department accreditation process! Be a site visitor for the Public Health Accreditation Board.
• It’s on! Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace starts November 15 and runs through February 15, 2015.

• Northampton, MA, the nation’s first 5-STAR Community, has successfully developed and implemented a wide range of sustainable practices, such as improving the health and safety of its residents.
• In Evanston, IL, a 4-STAR Community, 98% of households are within a half-mile of a park or green space.
• Over the last three years, the 4-STAR Community of Austin, TX, has increased the ability of low-income families to access low-cost, healthful food.

• The National Board of Public Health Examiners and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health are asking all public health workers to participate in an important public health job task analysis survey, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• According to an article in Governing.com, after suffering deep cuts during the recession, public health officials are rethinking how to fund essential services.
• The National Association of County and City Health Officials has released the 2014 Forces of Change survey, which contains new findings on the forces effecting change in our nation's local health departments.

• State health official Ron Chapman describes the California Department of Public Health’s journey towards attaining national accreditation.

• South Dakota’s three largest health systems [PDF 376KB] have put stewardship programs in place to prevent antibiotics from being overprescribed; all have at least one measure to track antibiotic prescribing and progress.
• To rally hospital engagement, Georgia developed a recognition program [PDF 420KB] to honor hospitals that meet state goals for reducing antibiotic overprescription.

• The Georgia Health Policy Center and the National Network of Public Health Institutes have released a new tutorial and planning tool to help public health organizations strategically plan for changes driven by the Affordable Care Act.

• In 2012, the percentage of people without health insurance [PDF - 562KB] ranged from 4.8% in Massachusetts to 20.9% in Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas, according to a national survey representing 43 states.
• Uninsured Americans will soon be able to gain access to affordable health coverage through their state’s health insurance exchanges—learn more about efforts in Illinois and Seattle & King County, Washington.
• States are also expanding Medicaid coverage to cover most low-income adults. As of June 20, 23 states and the District of Columbia were moving forward with Medicaid expansion, 21 states were not, and 6 were still deciding.
• The national State Innovation Models Initiative is providing nearly $300 million to 25 states for broad-based projects that improve health system performance—one example is Minnesota’s Accountable Health Model.

• Eleven public health departments are the first to receive national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board.
• Accredited health departments cite numerous reasons for seeking accreditation, including stronger partnerships and greater efficiencies.
• Johnson County, Kansas has implemented a healthy food pilot program as a result of accreditation-related activities. Learn about other ways local and state health departments are preparing for accreditation.
  
  

The Illinois Hospital Report Card helps consumers

• Find out about the quality of care provided in health-care facilities across their state
• Access information about quality and safety, patient satisfaction, nurse staffing, and utilization and costs of services in hospitals and surgery centers
  
  

• Certified Healthy Oklahoma is a voluntary certification program for businesses, college campuses, communities, restaurants, and schools encouraging healthy behaviors and policies.
• Communities and organizations can apply for three levels of certification: basic, merit, and excellence.
• Certified communities are also eligible to apply for incentive grants to enhance community wellness policies and activities.
• More than 480 applicants received certification last year.

• National public health accreditation launches next week.
• Over 23,000 St. Clair County residents joined the "Get Up & Go!" effort as part of the County's community health improvement process, which is required for accreditation.
• Elementary students who were physically inactive during recess decreased from 21% to 5% after quality improvement methods were applied in Martin County, FL.