Standardizing environmental health processes at the Iowa Department of Public Health
Rohit Ramaswamy1, Stephanie Segal, Joy Harris
1Public Health Leadership Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
Standardized work is the foundation of continuous improvement. Documenting standard processes is a precursor to problem solving and allows an organization to understand work flow, measure performance, and identify opportunities for improvement. Environmental health is an important function of public health departments but is rarely studied systematically. This article describes documentation of standard processes, identification of improvement opportunities, and lessons learned for environmental health processes at the Iowa Department of Public Health, using a pilot group of 3 local county offices. The approach described in this article can serve as a template for other states to follow in their quality improvement journeys.
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