Policies / internal procedures and processes

Arizona Department of Health Services
Completed
Impact Statement:
A state health department used LEAN tools to improve customer service by streamlining the process for reviewing licensure applications for residential facilities, reducing the average time from 50 to 17 calendar days.
DCHS Public Health
In Progress
Impact Statement:
Three counties in central Oregon, Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson, were faced with rates of only 60%–70% of 2-year-old children having received all recommended vaccinations. The counties used QI methods; elected to implement an evidence-based process, AFIX (Assessment, Feedback, Incentives,...
CGCDPH
Completed
Impact Statement:
The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health (CGCDPH) used PDSA to improve its process for applying for grants and involving all staff in understanding the process.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Completed
Impact Statement:
Using a PDCA approach, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) achieved a more efficient process for onboarding new employees. The amount of paper used went from 136 pages to 16 pages, an 88% reduction. The mean monthly staff time dedicated to the onboarding process dropped from 653...
BCPHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
Butte County Public Health Department (BCPHD) in California used QI to expedite the annual medical review (AMR) process for eligibility into the California Children's Services (CCS) program. More children and their families now have improved access to these specialty health care services.
DCHS
Completed
Impact Statement:
Customer satisfaction is key to any health department, and ensuring new employees’ satisfaction is no exception to this tenet. Deschutes County Health Services (DCHS) achieved tremendous success in orienting and onboarding these important “internal” customers through a comprehensive process that is...
CCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
Cecil County Health Department (CCHD) redesigned the onboarding process for new staff. As a result, most new staff reported that they understand their role at CCHD and found the onboarding process to be informative and useful. Onboarding education can improve staff members’ ability to meet...
KHI
Completed
Impact Statement:
Kansas Health Institute (KHI) strengthened their ability to share information with clients by increasing the efficiency of its publication process and reducing staff stress associated with it.
DOH-Seminole
Completed
Impact Statement:
The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County (DOH-Seminole) improved the timeliness of filing Client Service Records (CSRs), positively affecting customer service and access to care.
DCHS
Completed
Impact Statement:
Staff at Deschutes County Health Services (DCHS) recognized that they had so many different programs in operation that it was difficult for staff to make all the appropriate referrals for clients. They did a QI project, and their improvement hypothesis targeted three areas: knowledge, workflow, and...
LPHI
In Progress
Impact Statement:
The Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), a nonprofit organization dependent on grant funding, engaged in a Kaizen process to decrease the amount of time it takes to prepare a grant proposal. After a 5-day Kaizen event, a new process and job aid were developed, and labor time for proposal...
Missoula City-County Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
Missoula City-County Health Department used quality improvement to improve the functionality and satisfaction of its infectious disease after hours response team members, thus ensuring that emerging infectious disease issues in the community would be managed appropriately.
Tulare County Public Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
Working together, the Tulare County Public Health Department’s tuberculosis (TB) team and nurses increased the on-time completion rates from 80% to 100% for referrals of suspected TB cases. The QI project resulted in a newly defined and consistent work process that improved communications and team...
SCDPH
Completed
Impact Statement:
Saginaw County Department of Public Health (SCDPH) conducts strategic planning every 2 years. After noting that not all staff were engaged, the four previous strategic planning groups conducted a PDSA cycle on the strategic planning process. As a result, staff are now more committed to setting and...
Henry County Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
Henry County Health Department’s (HCHD’s) strategic plan included addressing employee turnover and job dissatisfaction. Employee turnover and job satisfaction are related to how confident an employee feels when starting a new position, which links back to the effectiveness of the orientation...
Vermont Department of Health
Completed
Impact Statement:
The health department improved the process for tracking data requests from internal and external partners. The interventions made the staff more aware of the tracking process and offered education on the use of the Access database. The results included greater use and an increased number of staff...
Cabarrus Health Alliance
Completed
Impact Statement:
Cabarrus Health Alliance and partners used quality improvement to streamline their processes for referrals for pregnancy care management to improve overall handoffs and cycle times, resulting in more timely and effective referrals for care management to ensure healthier mothers and babies.
MCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
A knowledgeable and involved team, subject matter expertise, and the Kaizen improvement method helped the Madison County Health Department reduce their client no show rates in the Family Planning Clinic. Root cause analysis led the team to create standardized process procedures, client scheduling...
HCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
This medium-sized health department tackled the unacceptable wait time in its Primary Care Clinics. The wait time averaged 1.5 hours for new patients and 30–45 minutes for returning patients. The QI team members observed how people are processed through the stations and identified improvement...
JCDHE
Completed
Impact Statement:
Johnson County Department of Health and Environment used a kaizen event to improve the supply ordering process cycle time and increased the order placement and delivery accuracy for all programs in the department. The results included decrease in cycle time – total ordering process time per order...
El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency
Completed
Impact Statement:
El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency used a Kaizen event to improve customer satisfaction and reduce labor time in the County “request for information” process. The results of the project mean better and faster information to the incoming caller, so they can make more informed...
TRDHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
By streamlining their internal computer drive, creating an internal framework for its use/upkeep, and training staff on the efficient and effective use of the computer drive, the Three Rivers District Health Department has increased staff productivity.
TCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
Kaizen events lend themselves to rapid improvements in routine health department processes. Tazewell County Health Department utilized Kaizen tools to full advantage--reducing administrative time related to food establishment inspections dramatically, exceeding the project aim. In the first month...
Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment
Completed
Impact Statement:
Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment improved the process of renewing annual hazardous waste licenses to over 500 hazardous waste generators. Approximately 75% of renewals contained one or more defects which slows the process, consumes unnecessary time by the inspectors...
ADHS
Completed
Impact Statement:
Home visiting programs are an important intervention to improve the health of women and children, but they are generally done in programmatic silos. A state health department used QI to improve the process and systematically address both chronic disease and environmental health risk factors...
OCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
Enforcement of food safety regulations plays a significant role in preventing food borne illness outbreaks. A local health department used the Lean method to increase efficiencies, standardize the process and reduce staff time and other costs for the administrative hearing process that enforces...
PHS
Completed
Impact Statement:
Inadequate documentation of policies and procedures is not just a hassle; it can also create confusion and redundancies that bog down staff’s ability to provide effective public health services and programs to the community. A small, rural local health department used quality improvement methods...
UDOH
Completed
Impact Statement:
This state health department quality improvement (QI) effort sought to improve customer satisfaction and increase use of the Utah state laboratory. The intervention tested was the development of a website for use by local health department (LHD) staff, who achieved both of the QI project goals. In...
Jefferson County Public Health Service
Completed
Impact Statement:
Responding to case reports of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne infection in North America represented a very large time burden for a local health department in northwest New York state. The department used QI tools to decrease the number of steps and amount of time to respond to case...
DPH
Completed
Impact Statement:
Using Kaizen Rapid Improvement Event, Denver Public Health not only made the vaccine administrative process more efficient, but helped to ensure the appropriate vaccine and fund source was applied, thereby preserving scarce privately funded vaccines.
RiverStone Health
Completed
Impact Statement:
WIC enrollment is well below the eligible population in Yellowstone, MT, and a substantial number of those enrolled do not regularly pick up their food coupons, resulting in automatic disenrollment and loss of benefits. Utilizing PDCA, RiverStone Health addressed the root causes of the drop off in...
KCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
Local health departments play a critical role in responding to public health emergencies and often test their ability to respond during exercises or drills. One local health department in Illinois used the PDCA cycle to improve its ability to assemble staff in a complete and timely manner during...
FCPH
Completed
Impact Statement:
In Fillmore County Public Health department, the time from notification to investigation of health problems and environmental health hazards (animal bites, infectious diseases, and nuisances) took longer than desired. Data was collected to understand the current state; investigations ranged from...
CT DPH
Completed
Impact Statement:
The CT DPH innovatively improved its ability to collect and report sociodemographic information, so health disparities could be identified throughout the state and efforts could be taken to improve population health and better address health inequities.
ACHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
The Allegan County Health Department used QI to increase of the percent of department programs that perform client satisfaction surveys from 33 to 81%. As a result valuable feedback from clients is enabling the department to provide services and programs that better meet the needs of its community.
St. Clair County Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
Recognizing the power and strength of inclusive community-based collaboration, the health department, under the leadership of the St. Clair County Health Care Commission, used quality planning to enlist more than 60 local organizations to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce the unacceptably...
YCHD
Completed
Impact Statement:
Yadkin-County Health department used QI tools and methods decrease the time for notifying clients of abnormal Pap smear results, enabling clients to make informed decisions about follow-up care.
NC Institute for Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health
Completed
Impact Statement:
A quality improvement mini-collaborative in North Carolina focused on developing a workforce development plan to increase public health nurse retention. After doing root cause analysis, the team developed a nurse-mentoring program and measured results after six months.
Lower 8 of Southeast Kansas Regional Preparedness Group
Completed
Impact Statement:
Access to prenatal care contributes to successful birth outcomes. A Kansas health department found that patients had challenges completing the application process for the Medicaid Children’s Health Insurance Program. By conducting patient education and assistance with the application, the health...
Mahoning County District Board of Health
Completed
Impact Statement:
By reducing the time to perform inspections of residential septic and well systems for real estate transactions, the Mahoning County District Board of Health made a positive economic impact in its community and improved customer service relations with local realtors.
Cumberland County Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
Cumberland County Health Department achieved dramatic improvements in the quality of services offered by their Adult Health Clinic through a Kaizen event. Prescription refill wait times decreased from as long as 6 weeks to less than 72 hours, and referrals to specialists, many of which had lengthy...
Washington County Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
This local health department improved participation and contributions by their partners in the community to the Community Health Improvement Plan by 70%, leading to strengthened relationships with and more effective collaborative partnerships to take action to improve the community’s health.
Kane County Health Department
Completed
Impact Statement:
The Kane County Health Department utilized QI tools to improve the efficiency of its community meeting process, strengthening the engagement and commitment of community partners.
Subscribe to Policies / internal procedures and processes