Welcome to the project portal for the Wisconsin Public Health Quality Initiative (WIQI)! This page is for project partners and anyone else interested in learning about Wisconsin's efforts to improve its health departments through accreditation preparation and quality improvement.

Kate Konkle developed this Quality Improvement and Accreditation Resource Guide.  It provides valuable links to resources available to assist you in your Quality Improvement and Accreditation planning.

In follow-up to the WIQI Partner Kick-off Meeting held May 6, 2010 several basic quality improvement training sessions will be offered over the next few weeks.  Dates and locations are listed below.  Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  Registration is limited and due one week before the training date.  WIQI partner organizations will be given priority for open slots! 

If you are interested in attending a session, please select the one that works best for you and your staff and email Kate.Konkle@wisconsin.gov no later than one week prior to the selected training with the date of the training you plan to attend and number of people attending.  Team attendance is strongly encouraged!

Dates and Locations

May 18 - Barron
June 1 - Wisconsin Rapids
June 8 - Appleton
June 9 - La Crosse
June 11 - Rhinelander
June 14 - Madison
 
For additional information, contact Kate Konkle.

The WIQI Partner meeting will be held on May 6, 2010 at the UW Pyle Center in Madison, Wisconsin.  Click here to see the final agenda.  

Recent WIQI quality improvement and management webinars are archived for viewing.  If you were unable to attend or just want a refresher on what was presented, follow the links below.

1.  Strategic Planning in the Context of Accreditation.  Presented by Nancy Young on March 15, 2010.

2.  Determining Root Causes and Prioritizing Issues with the Affinity Diagram and Inter-relationship Diagraph.  Presented by Kate Konkle on April 6, 2010.

3.  Focusing on Key Problems and Prioritizing Using Pareto Charts and Nominal Group Technique.  Presented by Heidi Keating on April 13, 2010.

The Wisconsin Public Health Quality Initiative Partner Meeting will be held at the UW-Pyle Center on May 6, 2010 from 8:30 a.m to 3:40 p.m. in Madison, WI.  Following is information to help you plan to attend.

Conference Location:

The Pyle Center
702 Langdon Street
Madison WI 53706
Ph:  608-262-0881

Parking:  For those of you driving in for the day, parking is available in the Lake or Francis Street ramps.  There is an additional parking ramp located in the new Lucky building (formerly the University Square Mall).  In addition, parking permits may be purchased from the front desk at the Pyle Center for $13 - they have some space available in lots designated for permit holders.  For additional information regarding The Pyle Center follow this link:  http://conferencing.uwex.edu/location.cfm

Hotel Accommodations:

The Lowell Center
610 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706

Rooms:  There is a limited number of rooms available for attendees driving in the night before the meeting.  Room rates are $70/night and parking is available at the Lowell Center for $8/night.  Overnight parking should be requested at the time of making reservations.  Reservations may be made by calling 866-301-1753 or by clicking on the following link and selecting Conference or Event Block Reservations and entering Group Code:  WIPUBLIC.  Reservations need to be made no later than April 21, 2010.

Reservations:  http://lowellirm.uwex.edu/irm/accesstype.asp

Additional meeting information will be forthcoming - watch this site for important updates!

The next WIQI Partner meeting will be held May 6, 2010 at the University of Wisconsin-Extension Pyle Center in Madison, Wisconsin. More information about the meeting will be forthcoming - so watch this site for updates. For information about the Pyle Center, follow this link http://conferencing.uwex.edu/location.cfm.

Also, as a reminder we have two upcoming webinars scheduled:

April 6, 2010, 1:00-2:00 p.m. - Determining Root Causes and Prioritizing Issues with the Affinity Diagram and Inter-relationship Diagraph presented by Kate Konkle, UW Population Health Fellow.

April 13, 2010, 1:00-2:00 p.m. - Focusing on Key Problems and Prioritizing using Pareto Charts and Nominal Group Technique presented by Heidi Keating, IWHI Quality Improvement Consultant.

Check back for further updates!

Recruitment of new local and tribal health department partners for the third year of WIQI has begun and so far the response has been excellent!  If your health department is considering participation, now is the time to apply.  The grant year runs May 1, 2010 to April 2011.  The deadline for application is 5 PM, March 15, 2010.

As part of their first year in the WIQI project, our "freshman" health departments recently completed a self-assessment using the Public Health Accreditation Board draft standards and a 0 to 4 scoring system with 0 indicating "no capacity" and 4 "optimal capacity".  This radar chart illustrates the aggregated scores in each domain for the group.  (Each health department has also developed its own radar chart.)  This data analysis tool provides a snapshot of areas of self-assessed strength and weakness and can be used to aid discussion and prioritization.

WIQI partners should mark their calendars for the following dates.  More information will be communicated as it becomes available. 

1. Webinar on strategic planning in the context of accreditation, March 15, 10-11 AM. Presenter: Nancy Young, IWHI Executive Director and Founding Principal, Gray Horse Consulting

2. Spring 2010 Quality Improvement Tools Webinar #1.  Using the inter-relationship diagraph, April 6, 1-2 PM.  Presenters: Kate Konkle, UW Population Health Fellow and Heidi Keating, IWHI Quality Improvement Consultant

3. Spring 2010 Quality Improvement Tools Webinar #2.  Nominal group technique and pareto charts, April 13, 1 PM. Presenters: Kate Konkle, UW Population Health Fellow and Heidi Keating, IWHI Quality Improvement Consultant

4. WIQI Partner In-Person Partner Meeting, May 6, 2010.  Location and agenda to be determined.

The Public Health Accreditation Board is now seeking comments from health departments on three documents: a Guide to Accreditation, a Readiness Checklist and a Statement of Intent.  Follow this link and provide your input today.  http://www.phaboard.org/index.php/beta_test/give_us_your_feedback/

You sign up for the free PHAB e-newsletter at the same site.  PHAB is the primary source for the national voluntary accreditation updates.

The WIQI Partner Meeting is scheduled for February 18, 2010 at the Jefferson Street Inn, Wausau, WI.  Follow this link to the WIQI Partner Meeting Agenda.