Recently accredited health departments

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)

Form Approved
OMB No. XXXX-XXXX
Expiration Date XX/XX/XXXX
Welcome
NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) is asking recently accredited health departments to participate in a
survey about the national public health accreditation program. The survey includes questions about your
experiences with the process, the benefits of accreditation, and short-term outcomes and other effects from
accreditation. NORC is conducting this survey on behalf of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate the outcomes of the national public health
accreditation program. The questions and topics in this survey are intended for the director of your health
department, or a designee, if the director is unable to complete the survey. Thank you for participating in this
survey.
Directions
Use your mouse to click on the circle or box to indicate your answer. Click “Next” to advance to the next page, and
scroll to the bottom of each page and click “Previous” to return to the previous page. On the last page of the
questionnaire, click “Done” to complete the questionnaire. Note: once you click “Done,” you will not be able to edit
or return to your questionnaire responses.
If you have technical difficulties, contact Megan Heffernan at heff[email protected] or 301-634-9412. Thank
you again for your participation.
Background
The survey is estimated to take 20 minutes or less to complete. Your open and honest feedback is appreciated.
Findings from this assessment will be included in a report to PHAB and CDC and may be publicly available. All data
will be presented in the aggregate; report findings will not be linked to the organization that completed the survey.
For more information about this assessment, please contact Project Director Michael Meit at [email protected].

CDC estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as 20 minutes per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data/information sources, gathering and
maintaining the data/information needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency
may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer;
1600 Clifton Road NE MS H21-8, Atlanta GA 30333 (ATTN: PRA (0920-xxxx).

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Information About Your Health Department

* 1. Name of Health Department:

Note: This information will be used to analyze findings by health department structure, size, and geographic
region; responses will not be linked to any specific health department.

* 2. Respondent Role:
Director of Health Department
Accreditation Coordinator
Other, please describe:

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
PHAB Standards and Measures

3. For each statement below, consider your impressions of and experiences with the PHAB
Standards and Measures. Please select the appropriate column to indicate whether you
Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. If you are unsure, please select Don’t
Know.
Strongly
Agree

As currently written, the PHAB Standards
and Measures for accreditation allow for
accurate measurement of the public health
capacities and processes in our health
department.
As currently written, the PHAB Standards
and Measures for accreditation accurately
reflect the practice of high-performing
health departments.

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Don't Know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Action Plan

4. Did the Accreditation Committee require your health department to develop an Action
Plan?
Yes
No
Don't know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Action Plan

Please provide additional information about the Action Plan process.
5. It was beneficial for our health department to implement the activities identified in the
Action Plan.
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Don't know

6. Please provide additional comments about the Action Plan process, if desired.

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Preparation

7. Select any of the following documents, plans, or systems, that you developed for the first
time to prepare for accreditation. Select all that apply.
Community health assessment
Community health improvement plan
Health department strategic plan
Workforce development plan
Public health emergency operations plan
Quality improvement plan
Performance management policy and/or system
Organizational branding strategy

8. Please provide additional comments about developing these documents, plans, or systems.

9. Did your health department hire a consultant to assist with the accreditation process?
Yes
No
Don't know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Preparation

10. What role did the consultant play?

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Internal Benefits and Outcomes

11. For each statement below, consider the internal benefits and/or outcomes your health
department has seen as a result of applying for PHAB accreditation.
Strongly
Agree

The accreditation process has stimulated
greater accountability and transparency
within our health department.
Undergoing accreditation has stimulated
greater collaboration across departments or
units within our health department.
Because of our participation in the
accreditation process, integration across
departments or units in our health
department has improved.
Accreditation has improved our health
department’s ability to identify and address
gaps in employee training and workforce
development.
Accreditation has improved our health
department’s overall capacity to provide
high quality programs and services.
Accreditation has increased our health
department’s capacity to identify and
address health priorities.
Accreditation has increased the extent to
which our health department uses evidencebased practices for public health programs
and/or business practices.
Because of our participation in the
accreditation process, our health
department’s staff competencies have
improved.
Accreditation has strengthened employee
pride in our agency.

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Don’t Know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Quality Improvement

12. For each statement below, consider the changes in your health department’s quality
improvement (QI) activities because of your participation in the accreditation process.
Strongly
Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Because of our participation in the
accreditation process, our health
department has implemented or plans to
implement new strategies for QI.
Because of our participation in the
accreditation process, our health
department has implemented or plans to
implement new strategies to monitor and
evaluate our effectiveness and quality.
Because of our participation in the
accreditation process, our health
department has used or plans to use
information from our QI processes and/or
performance management system to inform
decisions.
Because of our participation in the
accreditation process, our health
department has created or improved
operational or public health policies.

13. Please provide additional clarification for any of your responses, if desired.

Don’t Know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Quality Improvement and Performance Management

Please answer the following questions regarding other changes in quality
improvement (QI) and performance management culture within your agency.
14. Has your health department established an organization-wide process for QI?
Yes, established while participating in the accreditation process (after registering in e-PHAB)
Yes, established prior to participating in the accreditation process, but updated while undergoing the process
Yes, established prior to participating in the accreditation process and not updated while undergoing the
process
No, but under development
No, not working on it
Don't know

15. Indicate the level of familiarity your health department staff members have with QI.
Have no knowledge of QI
Subset of staff have familiarity with QI
Majority of staff have familiarity with QI
Subset of staff are knowledgeable and practice QI
Majority of staff are knowledgeable and practice QI
Majority of staff routinely practice/use QI
Don’t know

16. Currently, QI in my agency is…
Not practiced anywhere in the agency
Talked about, but not required
Conducted informally; sporadic program efforts
Conducted formally in specific areas
Conducted formally and agency-wide
Our culture
Don’t know

17. Engaging in QI has affected my agency by...
Select all that apply.
Decreasing time spent completing processes and cost
Improving process quality
Improving public health outcomes
Strengthening our performance management system
Making us better prepared for public health accreditation
It has not made much of an impact
We are not engaging in QI
Don’t know

18. Please provide additional clarification for any of your responses, if desired.

19. Approximately what percentage of staff in your organization have received training in
performance management and/or QI?
0–5%
6–25%
26–50%
51–75%
76–95%
96–100%
Don't know

20. If there was a change in knowledge and practice of QI in your health department because
of participation in the accreditation process, please describe the change and indicate how the
accreditation process contributed to this change.

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Workforce Development and Training

Please answer the following question about your health department’s
workforce development and training.
21. Select all workforce development and training activities currently implemented by your
health department. Select all that apply.
Include education and training objectives in performance reviews
Allow participation in training during working hours
Pay travel/registration fees for trainings
Provide on-site training
Have staff position(s) whose responsibilities include coordinating internal training for employees
Provide employee reward and recognition programs
Other, please describe:

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Communication and Relationship with Stakeholders

22. Please describe how accreditation has improved your relationship with stakeholders.

Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Accreditation has improved our board of
health or governing entity’s working
knowledge of our health department’s
roles and responsibilities.
Accreditation has improved our local
policymakers’ (other than our governing
entity) working knowledge of our health
department’s roles and responsibilities.
Accreditation has improved the public's
working knowledge of our health
department’s roles and responsibilities.
Accreditation has improved our partners’
working knowledge of our health
department’s roles and responsibilities.
Accreditation has improved our health
department’s relationship with key
partners in other sectors (e.g., health care,
social services, education).
Accreditation has helped us to build
relationships with new partners across
sectors (e.g., health care, social services,
education).
Accreditation has led to increased
collaboration with other health
departments.

23. Please provide additional clarification for any of your responses, if desired.

Don't Know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Financial Status

24. Please answer the following questions to provide feedback about fees, financial status,
and your health department.
Strongly
Agree

Our health department leadership team
views the PHAB accreditation fees as a
good value.
Accreditation has improved the utilization
of resources within our health department.
Accreditation has had a positive impact on
our health department budget (i.e., helped
us demonstrate our value and needs in
budget discussions, or protected the health
department against budget cuts).

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

Don't
Know

N/A

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Additional Feedback

Please answer the following questions to provide additional feedback about
your health department’s experiences as you completed the PHAB
accreditation process.
25. Our health department made the correct decision to apply for national accreditation
through PHAB.
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Don't know

26. Throughout the process of applying for accreditation, did your health department
experience any of the following challenges?
Select all that apply.
Leadership changes
Staff turnover or loss of key staff
Limited staff time or other schedule limitations
Decreased perceived value or benefit
Decreased priority for our health department
Decreased support from board of health or governing entity
Decreased support from other elected leaders
Decreased support from health department leadership team
Limited funding or financial constraints
Unanticipated costs
None
Other, please describe:

27. For any of the challenges selected above, please describe how your health department
overcame the obstacle.

28. Were there any unanticipated benefits or outcomes to planning, undergoing, and
becoming an accredited health department? If so, please explain.
Yes
No
Don't know

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Additional Feedback

29. Please describe the unanticipated benefits or outcomes your health department
experienced.

Accredited Survey (Survey 2)
Thank You

Thank you for your participation!