While quality improvement (QI) takes center stage in the Public Health Accreditation Board’s (PHAB) Domain 9, QI has an important role to play throughout the accreditation cycle. This case story shows how one state health department learned and applied QI to help prepare the department for Domain 8, which focuses on ensuring there is a competent public health workforce.
In spring 2012, as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Public Health Improvement Initiative, Public Health Foundation (PHF) QI Expert Harry Lenderman provided QI training to staff in the Rhode Island Department of Health. The agency applied the learning immediately, launching several QI projects, many of which supported ongoing preparation and plans for public health accreditation. A longstanding affiliate of TRAIN—a national online public health learning network—the agency knew it could use TRAIN records to document training activities related to PHAB’s Domain 8: Ensuring a Competent Public Health Workforce. But in 2012, just 25% of employees had TRAIN accounts and few used those accounts to access online learning opportunities. The QI project described in this case story dramatically improved TRAIN enrollment, which reached 96%. The benefit is already evident: between January and July 2013, Rhode Island TRAIN users completed 377 courses—a 71% increase over the same period in 2012. The results far exceeded the QI team’s goals, and helped the health department meet multiple PHAB standards through a single activity. Click here to read the full story.
PHAB accredited the Rhode Island Department of Health in November 2015.
Using TRAIN for PHAB Accreditation
As more state, tribal, local, and territorial public health departments prepare documentation to apply for PHAB accreditation, TRAIN, the nation's premier learning management network designed for public health professionals, can be an invaluable resource. Learn five ways in which TRAIN can help your health department apply for accreditation.