PHTC Annual Narrative Report

PHTC Annual Narrative Report Ohio Public Health Training Center September 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

Executive Summary The Ohio Public Health Training Center (OPHTC), located in the Center for Public Health Practice (Center) in the College of Public Health at The Ohio State University, supports the overall Public Health Training Center purpose of improving the Nation s public health system by strengthening the technical, scientific, managerial and leadership competencies and capabilities of the current and future public health workforce. Specifically, OPHTC is involved in facilitating the success of Ohio s public health workforce and organizations through: (1) developing a state-wide strategic plan for public health workforce and organization development in Ohio; (2) maximizing partnerships with other academic public health programs and community and professional organizations to more efficiently and effectively support workforce development initiatives; (3) providing organizational development services that support the mission-critical activities of public health agencies; (4) enhancing collaborations between practice and academe; (5) providing need-based and competency-based training; (6) increasing and strengthening the student practice experiences in underserved areas of Ohio; and, (7) becoming a cooperative and collaborative leader within the National Network of Public Health Training Centers. These goals are accomplished through multiple approaches, including: (1) maximizing and strengthening strategic partnerships and collaborations with other academic public health programs, community organizations, and associations; (2) utilizing distance learning and communication delivery technology, as well as conventional delivery methods, for maximum reach and increased accessibility; (3) marketing through a variety of technologic and social media tools; and, (4) designing, developing and implementing structures and models that will assist OPHTC to develop a long term sustainability plan. Highlights Training Training by the Numbers Participants in Workshops/Trainings 1,493 Workshops & Trainings Offered 50 Contact Hours Provided 234 OPHTC exceeded its goal in Year 1 by providing needand competency-based training to over 1,400 public health practitioners. Training was delivered in a variety of formats including traditional face-to-face, online (synchronous and asynchronous), and blended-learning via the Center s learning content management system. Courses included, but were not limited to: Leadership Practices Inventory, Health Literacy: Best Practices for the Future, Data for Quality Improvement, Facilitation for Engagement, Human Resources Management in Public Health, Public Health Nursing Surge, Strategic Leadership in Public Health, and Evidence Based Public Health Practice. In an effort to avoid duplication, a process guide was developed to assist OPHTC personnel in searching for relevant curricula that may be available and accessible from external sources. In addition, a course review matrix was created to assist with review of the quality and applicability of existing content. The process guide and matrix were shared across the PHTC network. Information about specific training initiatives can be found in the Accomplishments section.

Highlights, continued Organizational & Accreditation Support Services OPHTC provided consultation and facilitation services to several public health agencies to support their pursuit of agency accreditation. OPHTC provided the Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH) with a six month, team-based Institute for Continuous Quality Improvement. The Institute, which included both training and consultation, resulted in a continuous quality improvement plan for the agency. HCPH serves over 460,000 residents. OPHTC conducted a Local Public Health System Performance Assessment (LPHSPA) in Stark County, Ohio. The project included consultation, project management, and facilitation. The four public health jurisdictions in Stark County serve 375,600 residents. The Union County Health Department (UCHD) has retained OPHTC services in the coming months to conduct a Local Public Health System Performance Assessment as well as focus groups to assess the agency s 2009 H1N1 response. UCHD serves 52,300 residents. OPHTC is also working with a rural health agency in Northwest Ohio to engage the community and stakeholders in their strategic planning processes. The Henry County Health Department serves 28,215 residents. OPHTC provided community health assessment support to three organizations during the current grant year. The Adena Health System contracted with the Center, through OPHTC, to provide a community health status assessment report utilizing existing, secondary data sources. The Adena Health System serves a primarily rural, medically underserved, thirteen county region in Southeast Ohio; population 650,000. Adena is utilizing the report to inform strategic planning efforts. OPHTC created a structured service model utilizing the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) process for the Perry County Health Department. Perry County is federally designated as a medically underserved community that serves over 36,000 residents. A community health assessment project is currently underway with the Central Ohio Hospital Council. OPHTC is writing a community health status report utilizing existing, secondary data sources. The report will inform planning in Franklin County s public health agencies and four major health systems that serve the county s 1,163,414 residents. Funding Availability & Sustainability OPHTC developed a formal structure and fee model for providing accreditation and organizational support services. Services include consultation, facilitation, and support for activities such as: National Public Health Performance Standards Program (state, local, and governance assessments), community health assessments (MAPP), strategic planning and general meeting facilitation. This new fee-for-service model was piloted in year one and will support longer term sustainability in the future. Through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, OPHTC was successful in obtaining a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to purchase Media Site lecture capture technology. The new technology will allow for the seven participating academic institutions in Ohio and Pennsylvania to share and deliver accessible training courses or modules across the state and region. OPHTC serves as the administrative and technical hub for this collaborative effort.

PHTC Accomplishments Ohio s Top 3 Competency-Based Training Needs Financial Planning & Management Community Dimensions of Practice Policy Development & Program Planning Training Needs Assessment OPHTC launched a competency-based workforce training needs assessment to 50 of Ohio s 129 health departments in January 2011. Over 1,400 practitioners, representing 43 local public health agencies participated. Individual agency and statewide composite executive summaries were prepared and disseminated. These findings will allow for data driven decisions regarding future offerings. As a direct outcome of this needs assessment work, and in an effort to be responsive to expressed needs, OPHTC will convene a group of interested public health agencies in July 2011 for the purpose of developing a workforce development plan template. The template can be used by local public health agencies to develop an agencyspecific training plan as well as meet the documentation requirement for PHAB Accreditation Standard 8.2B. In addition, OPHTC continues active involvement with statewide need assessments for the Ohio Department of Health, focusing on integrated public health and medical preparedness; and, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency assessment of statewide workforce capacity and expertise relative to monitoring instruments and analytical laboratories for various agents of public health concern. Evaluation Plan OPHTC developed a comprehensive evaluation model and associated work plan as part of its year one activities. The evaluation plan includes measurement of outcomes at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Learning is being measured through a variety of methods including pre-post testing, as well as tracking participants over time in an effort to measure application of new knowledge and skills on the job. An online survey will be deployed to a sub-set of participants who attended OPHTC-sponsored training in Year 1. The survey will capture self-reported transfer of learning to the job. At the organizational level, data was collected as part of the competency-based training needs assessment initiative. This data will serve as a baseline for measuring improvements in organizational capacity. Interviews are planned with agencies and organizations who received consultation, facilitation, training, and other organizational support services from OPHTC in year one to begin looking at outcomes at the agency level. Specific indicators, methods, and instrumentation for community-level outcomes will be developed. A formal report of Year 1 findings will be made available upon the completion of the above mentioned activities. This information will be shared with both funders and customers. Lastly, OPHTC has taken a lead role at the national level by coordinating the new HRSA PHTC Evaluation Special Interest Group. The group began meeting monthly in the Spring of 2011 and continues to meet on a regular basis.

PHTC Accomplishments, continued Practice Partnerships Continuous Quality Improvement A key area of focus for training and consultation services in Year 1 has been centered on the topic of continuous quality improvement (CQI). These CQIrelated training initiatives are in direct response to needs assessment results, public health agency accreditation requirements, and requests from practice partners. Upon request, two local public health agencies were provided with in-house CQI training during the current grant year. OPHTC staff also presented CQI workshops at several statewide conferences/events. In order to increase accessibility to this popular curriculum, CQI content is being converted from an instructor-led format into an online, self-study format. This will ensure that agencies and practitioners from across the state have access to the curriculum anytime and anywhere. OPHTC will continue to market and offer in-house training and consultation services to practice partners in the future. Cohort Based Initiatives OPHTC has had much success with cohort-based training initiatives. Teams of individuals are engaged in training, often delivered in a web-based synchronous format, around a particular topic, for an extended period of time. Lecture is followed by an assignment that allows for direct application of new knowledge and skills. The cohort reconvenes on a regular basis to review assignments and address new content. This sequence continues for a six week to six month period. Current offerings include: a Strategic Leadership in Public Health course that is offered for both continuing education and academic credit, a Public Health Training Academy that links local public health departments with the area s academic MPH program to foster the development of emerging leaders, and the Continuous Quality Improvement Institute described above. In year two, a cohort-based Strategic and Succession Planning in Public Health series and a Public Health Education Principles course will be offered.

PHTC Accomplishments, continued Practice Partnerships In Year 1, the Center actively engaged with over 50 practice partner organizations at the state and local levels. Two examples are highlighted below. Additional partnerships are mentioned throughout this report and are listed in the Stories of Impact section of this report. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH): OPHTC personnel are working directly with The Ohio Department of Health s Director of Workforce Development providing consultation to workforce development efforts through representation on ODH s Workforce Advisory Group. Recent activities include the development of a competency framework and workforce development plan for the agency. Other activities include: Leadership Practices Inventory and Shaping Policy for Health workshops, participation in state-wide community health assessment planning efforts, as well as meeting facilitation. Columbus Public Health (CPH): A formal Memorandum of Understanding was established between OPHTC and CPH. CPH and OPHTC leadership reviewed CPH s competency-based training needs assessment results as well as existing agency-level data. This data will inform the selection and development of specific collaborative workforce and organizational development projects that will be supported by OPHTC. During the summer of 2011, OPHTC worked with CPH to evaluate the number of seasonal flu vaccines administered in both clinical and non-clinical sites during the 2010-2011 flu season. In addition, a protocol was established for future data collection. Lastly, OPHTC continues to work with CPH to support community engagement efforts and other areas of collaboration, such as the development of a workforce development plan template to be used by local public health agencies. Academic Partnerships Formal partnerships were established in year one with several MPH programs in Ohio. Three of these partnerships were enhanced through formal sub-awards. In addition, a collaborative relationship was maintained with the Pennsylvania Public Health Training Center located at the University of Pittsburgh. The partnerships, and associated activities, are described below: Case Western Reserve University provides support and subject matter experts related to collaborative practicebased research. This includes identifying practice-based research training-related needs and developing associated curricula to address those needs. Northeast Ohio Medical University collaboratively coordinates the Public Health Training Academy. The academy was piloted in year one and will continue in year two. University of Cincinnati, Division of Public Health Sciences provides cooperative support and consultation for ongoing needs assessment work. University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania PHTC) collaboratively co- sponsors a monthly Practice in Action webinar series beginning in August 2011. University of Toledo, Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health provides subject matter experts for preparedness-related training.

Challenges & Strategic Direction In an effort to be responsive to identified training needs, as well as specific requests from practice partners, OPHTC has laid the groundwork in Year 1 for several initiatives that will be delivered in Year 2: OPHTC will work in partnership with local public health partners to develop a financial planning and management series for local health department financial officers and agency leadership. OPHTC has identified a Shaping Policy for Health curriculum offered through the Directors of Health Promotion and Education. An introductory workshop is scheduled for August 2011 with subsequent workshops being considered. Additional focus will be placed on converting existing content into an online format as well as utilizing the new Media Site lecture capture technology to increase access to training. OPHTC continues to monitor the current economic climate and the impact on training and workforce development initiatives at the state and local levels. One ongoing issue is the inability for many, if not most, practitioners to travel and/or have time away from work for professional development activities. To address this issue, OPHTC has invested both staff and financial resources into the development of a learning content management system that allows for accessible online course delivery and participant tracking. Through a recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act technology grant, OPHTC is working in collaboration with several other academic institutions in Ohio, as well as the Pennsylvania Public Health Training Center, to establish an online learning collaborative utilizing Media Site technology. Strategic Direction OPHTC s strategic direction is embedded within the Center s strategic plan. Strategic goals include: 1) Align and Expand Services to Meet Customer Needs, 2) Establish OSU College of Public Health as a Core of Collaborative Public Health Service Relationships, 3) Expand and Diversify Resources, 4) Optimize Technology, and 5) Cultivate Culture and Capacity. You can see many of these goals being implemented based on the activities and initiatives highlighted in this report. OPHTC continues to use formal needs assessment data collected in year one, real-time needs assessment data, as well as trends identified at the state and national levels by professional organizations and governmental agencies to guide the prioritization and development of a strategic workforce and organizational development plan for the State of Ohio. OPHTC will convene a group of both practice and academic partners to develop this statewide plan. Training Focus in Year 2 Challenges

Maintaining Partnerships Description OPHTC maintains bidirectional, ongoing relationships with a variety of practice-based and academic partners. Partners are convened and engaged on a regular basis to consider both current projects as well as future initiatives. Examples of these partnerships and collaborations are provided throughout this report. A sampling includes: The Center s External Advisory Committee meets on a regular basis to contribute to ongoing planning efforts. Sub-contracts have been established with academic partners to support OPHTC grant deliverables. OPHTC staff members are active participants on a variety of committees and workgroups including, but not limited to: Ohio Department of Health s Workforce Advisory Group, State Health Improvement Planning Committee, United Way Health Impact Council, and the Ohio Voluntary Accreditation Team. HRSA Collaborations OPHTC provides consultation and facilitation services for two projects that involve the Ohio Department of Health s Maternal and Child Health Program. Ohio s Universal Vision Screening Coalition for Young Children, administered through Prevent Blindness Ohio, has been established to create vision screening guidelines for the state. In addition, OPHTC staff has provided consultation and meeting facilitation for the Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board. In addition, OPHTC has established formal partnerships with both the Pennsylvania and Kentucky Public Health Training Centers on two training initiatives. The Centers continue explore additional opportunities for future collaboration. Additional examples of these partnerships are described throughout this report. External Advisory Group Members Nancie Bechtel, RN, MPH Central Ohio Trauma System Christopher Bork, PhD University of Toledo College of Medicine John Mac Crawford, PhD OSU College of Public Health Doug Fisher, DPM Hocking County Health Department Scott Frank, MD Case Western Reserve University Lois Hall, MS Ohio Public Health Association Corey Hamilton, RD, MS Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department Amy Lee, MD, MPH Consortium of Eastern Ohio MPH Greg Locher Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio William Mase, DrPH University of Cincinnati, MPH Program Ken Pearce, MPH Lorain County General Health District Beth Pierson, MPH Franklin County Public Health Paul Rega, MD University of Toledo Pamela Walker-Bauer, MPH, RS Clinton County Health Department Christopher Woolverton, PhD Kent State University Bobbie Erlwein, MPH Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

SPH Support and Collaborations OPHTC continues to engage in collaborative efforts both within the college and with other university entities. Key activities are highlighted below. OPHTC and the College s Office of Academic Programs and Student Services (APSS) identified and implemented a tracking and reporting mechanism for student placements occurring in rural and underserved areas. In addition, OPHTC and APSS will jointly sponsor a Student Leadership Practices Inventory workshop in January 2012. OPHTC s instructional technologist is providing support to faculty in the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion to develop an online policy, systems and environmental change course. The course, when complete, will be hosted on the Center s LCMS. The Center serves as a primary outreach arm for the College which supports the maintenance of CEPH accreditation. OSU s Office of Human Resources has provided OPHTC with supervisor/new manager curriculum that is being revised and converted into online format. In addition, OPHTC staff is involved in conversation around leveraging leadership development initiatives and services within the university. An OPHTC staff member serves as an instructor in the John Glenn School of Public Affairs Certified Public Managers Program, and OPHTC s evaluator is a staff member in OSU s Center for Learning Excellence. Lastly, OPHTC has established formal collaborative partnerships with several other MPH programs and academic institutions in Ohio and beyond. These partnerships are highlighted in the Accomplishments section, under Academic Partnerships.

Stories of Impact