PHF E-News brings you the latest information on how you can use performance management, quality improvement, and workforce development to improve the quality and performance of your organization and the health of your community.

The 20th anniversary issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, dedicated to "Transforming Public Health Practice Through Accreditation," includes research articles, case reports, and commentaries that depict current accreditation activities and perspectives in public health.

The Public Health Foundation (PHF) is honored to have contributed to this special issue. Read highlights from the free January/February 2014 edition of this publication.

The latest webinar in PHF's series to encourage public health, healthcare, and community-based organizations to implement evidence-based strategies and improve health outcomes, profiled how a community used untraditional health advocates to help identify at-risk older adults who may be in need of mental health services. The archive of this webinar is now available on TRAIN. See how United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and its partners used a recommended intervention from The Guide to Community Preventive Services to connect individuals to public health services. 

From March through December, 2013, more than 350 people engaged with the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice to provide feedback on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. See a sampling of the more than 1,000 suggestions provided that will help to shape the future of the public health workforce. The revision process will continue until the updated version is released in June. 

"Preparing for accreditation is complicated and requires a lot of organization," said Alicia Plati, Director of Planning & Development for the Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) in her recent PHF Pulse Blog post. OCCHD was one of the first eleven health departments to be awarded five-year accreditation status by the Public Health Accreditation Board almost one year ago. Read about and see the Accreditation Maintenance Tool that the department created to track and maintain its accredited status.
 

Each year in the United States, seasonal influenza (the flu) causes severe illness, hospitalizations, and even death. According to this week's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FluView report, influenza activity remains elevated nationally. Some states that saw earlier increases in flu activity are now beginning to see decreases. Other states are continuing to see high levels of flu activity or are seeing continued increases in activity. Learn about actions that you and your colleagues can take today to continue to fight the flu in your community.

TRAIN, PHF's learning management network for professionals who protect and improve the public's health, continued growing with new learners, courses, and affiliates last year. The TRAIN network now includes over 760,000 learners and 28 affiliates. Learn more about the most comprehensive learning resource for public health professionals and its expansion in 2013.