April 3, 2008

Commissioners okay health dept. strategic plan

By Jennifer Larsen

News editor

Integrated Health Care Services Administrator Kate Brueske met with the Adams County Commissioners Monday morning to attain approval of the 2007/2008 Adams County Health Department Strategic Plan.

After a little discussion, the commissioners unanimously agreed to sign the document, which is the first of its kind for the county health department.

The health department is preparing for the state standards review. Brueske said the standards are measured by a department’s documentation, and the strategic plan is one of the items reviewed.

“I’m not a fan of strategic plans, but I kind of like this document because it is educational and informational as to what the health department is doing,” Brueske said.

The plan identifies the health department’s vision as “Adams County residents will have optimum personal health and enjoy living and working in a healthy environment,” and a mission statement of “We are an organization dedicated to improving, promoting and protecting the public’s health.”

Twelve standards are included in the plan, with activities, outputs, short-term goal, revenue source, goal date, standard and lead staff listed for each standard.

Standard 1: Community Health Assessment, includes such activities as staff training and tracking county data;

Standard 2: Communication to the Public and Key Stakeholders – health alerts, communicating mission/role of public health and 24-7 contact information;

Standard 3: Community Involvement – reviewing public health indicators;

Standard 4: Monitoring and Reporting Threats to the Public’s Health – staff training for notifiable conditions, timely reporting and effective/complete investigation of notifiable conditions, poster and information distribution of notifiable conditions and 24-7 public contact information/education;

Standard 5: Planning for and Responding to Public Health Emergencies – plan and hold mass flu clinic annually and staff training/participation;

Standard 6: Priority Area of Prevention and Education – health information to leadership and community partners for all programs with specific activities for MCH, MSS/MCM/ICM, oral health, special needs infants and children, immunizations for children, adolescents and adults, childcare, staff education and collaboration, HIV, tobacco, food safety, STD, TB and obesity prevention;

Standard 7: Helping Communities Address Gaps in Critical Health Services – conduct annual client satisfaction survey as well as coordinate health service delivery and link clients to a medical home;

Standard 8: Program Planning and Evaluation – improve public health services;

Standard 9: Financial and Management Systems – contract and strategic plan reviews;

Standard 10: Human Resource Systems – annual training, staff licenses renewed and performance evaluation;

Standard 11: Information Systems – Web site has information with the 24-hour contact number for reporting health emergencies, links to legislation, information on CD, EH, prevention activities;

Standard 12: Leadership and Governance – Board of Health information and education as well as strategic planning.

As the commissioners signed the strategic plan, Brueske said, “This is an active document because it is something that will change as we go.

“It will just kind of continue on.”