The last few months of 2009 were a blur for most health departments - a blur of activity around pandemic response. And our Wisconsin partners responded admirably. While the pandemic is "not over 'til it is over," the ringing in of 2010 gives us an opportunity to turn attention to exciting new QI and accreditation events and to take stock of progress that has been made over the past few months despite H1N1.

The New
An Important Visit
Partners and national site visitors to meet on February 18 in Wausau. This meeting will focus on progress made so far by the QI affinity groups that were formed around common interests at our September 2009 meeting; the self assessments that our freshman (and some sophomore) agencies are engaging in using an Excel-based workbook that we developed in response to the national draft accreditation standards; and how sophomore agencies are grappling with some of the more difficult standards relating to evaluation and research. A highlight of this event will be the presence of our national site visit team made up of consultants like Lee Theilan and Les Beitsch, project staff from the National Network of Public Health Institutes, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and visitors from other Multi-State Learning Collaborative states. We expect great discussions and dialog!

A New Publication
Our project is developing a monograph on the public health essential services targeted for a local policy maker audience. The idea is to develop a clear, brief document addressing what the services are in practical terms and why they matter. There is interest in this product by other states with similar public health delivery systems and by some national organizations as well. Stay tuned as this develops.

An Invitation
In the next month or two we will be inviting new health departments to become part of WIQI in the third grant year which will begin on May 1, 2010 and continue through April 30, 2011. If you are a Wisconsin health department leader, please consider us! It is a great group and an opportunity to explore accreditation preparation how quality improvement tools can make a difference in your agency.

The Old - Well Not So Old Really!
Practical QI Projects
Agencies with similar QI project interests formed in September and are working together on QI projects. For example, the Southern Region Office, Appleton and Wauwatosa Health Departments are looking at engagement on the issue of built environments. The Monroe County Health Department is looking at improving PHN orientation and the Lincoln, Jefferson, Oak Creek, Shawano and Waushara Health Departments worked together to develop an improved customer satisfaction survey and process. These are just SOME examples of QI piloting efforts among our local partner agencies. WDPH regional offices have launched QI projects too - one example from the Northeast office addressed cell phone use by sanitarians.

How Do We Rate?
Our project developed an Excel-based workbook for LHDs who wish to assess their progress toward meeting the national voluntary accreditation draft standards. The standards are built around the public health essential services and the workbook allows a health department to rate on a 0-4 scale how they "measure up". Of course, one main purpose of this self-assessment is to generate discussion and voluntary action around essential services. Whether our partner agencies choose to pursue national voluntary accreditation when it becomes a reality in 2011 or not - so far, they have found this assessment process to be enlightening.