Quality Improvement


The Kane County Health Department was awarded a Promising Practice Award for 2016 from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

The project that earned this recognition promoted the use of Quality Improvement tools, and how best to motivate and encourage the staff to complete six required QI training modules identified in the Kane County Health Department’s QI Plan and Workforce Development Plan.

Health Department QI projects honored with national profiles:

The Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange (PHQIX) is an online community designed to be a communication hub for public health professionals interested in learning and sharing information about quality improvement (QI) in public health.

The following Kane County Health Department projects have been highlighted there:

In April 2016, the Kane County Health Department’s Office of Community Health Resources was selected for Developing a Sharing Network to Increase Facebook Likes.

In July 2013, the Kane County Health Department's Emergency Response Program was profiled for Improvement of Employee Drill Response in the Public Health Emergency Response Program

In September 2012, the Kane County Health Department had two projects selected for inclusion among the first fifty projects profiled on the Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange:

Increasing Identification of Resources in Kane County and Improving the Sharing and Leveraging of These Resources to Achieve Community Health Improvement Plan Priorities.

Kane County Health Department’s Public Health Nursing Immunization Project: Improving Nurse Competency in Childhood Immunizations.

Created by RTI International and funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, PHQIX launched in September of 2012 with the goal of sustaining national efforts at QI through providing public health practitioners with a means for obtaining knowledge from the experience of their colleagues. This community engagement will ensure that lessons learned are not limited solely to the individuals who executed a specific QI initiative. KCHD continues to submit QI initiatives to PHQIX, so check back frequently to see additional projects added to the site.

Quality Improvement Tools

In an effort to streamline processes, increase productivity and improve services provided to the Kane County community, the Health Department has implemented quality improvement tools and methodologies.

By adopting models of quality improvement, such as the Deming Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model, the Health Data and Quality Improvement Coordinator works with KCHD staff to evaluate current processes, seek out opportunities for improvement and implement changes to assure that programs function effectively. The Storyboard links (below) share the results of KCHD improvement projects.

  
FY17 Quality Improvement & Performance Management Plan
FY16 Quality Improvement & Performance Management Plan
FY15 Quality Improvement & Performance Management Plan
FY14 Quality Improvement Plan
2012 Quality Improvement Plan
2011 Quality Improvement Plan
Quality Improvement Committee Charter

QI Project Storyboards

PDCA Storyboards are created for each section that is addressed by the quality improvement project. The Storyboard links share the results of recent improvement projects.

  
collapse Subcategory : Communicable Disease ‎(2)
Immunization Stats and Vaccine Accountability
Improvement of Case Completion Rates in STD Program
collapse Subcategory : Community Health ‎(2)
Improvement of pre and post meetings communications
Increasing Community Engagement in Health Initiatives
collapse Subcategory : Community Health Resources ‎(3)
Assessing and Improving Agency-wide QI Training
Developing a Sharing Network to Increase Facebook Likes
Improvement of PHER Employee Drill Response
collapse Subcategory : Disease Prevention ‎(1)
Immunization Competencies
collapse Subcategory : Environmental Health ‎(1)
Routine Food Inspection Report Completeness
collapse Subcategory : Health Promotion ‎(1)
Increasing the Number of Referrals of At-Risk, First Time Pregnant Mothers to Home Visitation Programs in Elgin
  
QI-Summary-Report-Year-2013
QI-Summary-Report-Year-2012
QI-Summary-Report-Year-2011

Links & Resources

Want to learn more?
The following sites can provide more information about Quality Improvement, particularly in public health.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
American Society for Quality
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, January-February 2010 (QI-focused)
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, January-February 2012 (QI-focused)
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
NACCHO QI Stories from the Field – Oct 2011
National Network of Public Health Institutes
Public Health Foundation

Past Project Highlights:

2015 The Kane County Health Department was awarded two Model Practice Awards at the 2015 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) annual conference in Kansas City July 7-9, 2015. The Health Department’s two awards were among 19 total awards presented nationwide, and this is the third year in a row Kane County received Model Practice recognition. Read more information about NACCHO’s Model Practice awards.

KCHD’s Model Practice has an impact on public health by allowing local health departments to meet several of the accreditation requirements (examples of quality improvement, development of a work force development plan.) These requirements can be met in such a way that they engage all staff, utilize existing internal resources, and help build a more competent workforce. As a result of this process, KCHD staff has indicated an increase interest in Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals.

2012 The Kane County Health Department won a “Model Practices” award from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for quality improvement initiatives as a department!

This honor from our peer local health departments is quite a distinction---less than 2% of the nation’s more than 2600 local health departments win this award from NACCHO in the annual awards program.

Kane County Health Department Director of Health Promotion Theresa Heaton displays the two Model Practice Awards presented to the Health Department at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) annual conference last week in Kansas City. Theresa is flanked by NACCHO President Dr. Swannie Jett, right, and NACCHO Executive Director LaMar Hasbrouck, left.