Aligning Modernization with National Voluntary Public Health Accreditation

The Public Health Accreditation Board’s public health department standards and measures and the modernization foundational capabilities were developed for different reasons. National voluntary public health accreditation was developed as a tool to improve the performance and quality of public health departments, while the foundational capabilities were developed based on an Institute of Medicine committee recommendation for a minimum package of public health services to make the case for sustainable funding and to describe what is needed everywhere for public health to function anywhere.

Despite this difference, the accreditation standards and measures and the foundational capabilities were both developed by the field for the field, and describe core elements of governmental public health practice. There is significant alignment between the two public health initiatives. Thinking about the alignment of the modernization and accreditation goals may help local health departments plan for both sets of deliverables in a manner that uses resources efficiently and avoids duplication. Tools that demonstrate specific areas of alignment between modernization and accreditation and provide a template for mapping priorities for these public health initiatives.

Tools

Accreditation-Modernization Crosswalk Instructions (doc)
Accreditation-Modernization Crosswalk (xlsx)
Community Health Improvement Plan, Agency Strategic Plan, Modernization, and Accreditation of Public Health: CROSSWALK TEMPLATE (doc)
Public Health Modernization and Accreditation Recording
Public Health Modernization and Accreditation Slides