Local Health Districts Improvement Standards

(Revised 8/31/04)

The Performance Standards Workgroup (PSW) is responsible for updating the Ohio Public Health Standards. This process began with the Five Point Plan several years ago. These new standards do not represent an increase in the number of standards pertaining to subsidy, but they do represent a change toward a continuous quality improvement approach taking into consideration Ohio’s first Public Health Standards, the current ODH goals, the Core Public Health Functions, and the National Public Health Performance Standards based on the Ten Essential Services.

• Local Health District Improvement Goals/Standards/Measures
   
  The document accessed by the link above is also available within the Improvement Standards on-line tool as a report entitled List of Available Standards.

The PSW has developed Goals, Standards and Measures. There are 6 goals and 25 standards and a compendium of optional local public health measures associated with the standards.

The Goals are:

1. Protect People from Disease and Injury (includes 5 standards)
    
2. Monitor Health Status (includes 3 standards)
    
3. Assure a Safe and Healthy Environment (includes 5 standards)
    
4. Promote Healthy Lifestyles (includes 3 standards)
    
5. Address the Need for Personal Health Services (includes 4 standards)
    
6. Administer the Health District (includes 5 standards).

In order to receive the yearly subsidy payment, each local health department submits an application reporting on how it meets the Improvement Goals and Standards (the optional measures identify ways the LHD may meet, or plan to meet, the standards). Additional minimum standards to receive the subsidy include submission of the Annual Financial Report to ODH, attendance by the health commissioner and medical director at designated conferences, employment of the required administrative leadership, provision of health education services, and expenditure of $3.00 per capita.

The variations of size and capacity of the public health systems within Ohio were considered in the development of these improvement standards. Therefore, the intended goal is a continuous quality improvement approach that will increase the readiness and effectiveness of Ohio’s public health system within and across jurisdictions.

Make comments and suggestions to:

Mailing Address:
Ohio Department of Health
Office of Policy and Leadership, Performance Standards
246 N. High Street
PO Box 118
Columbus, OH 43216-0118

E-Mail: phstan@odh.ohio.gov

Last Updated: 4/24/2006