New Releases 
Fall Webinar Series
In November, we dove into your questions about the upcoming 2022 HDSAI Interpretation Document 2022, which we will continue to do in December – now with even more clarity thanks to recent board decisions.
Our webinar on Tuesday, December 14 from 10-11:30 a.m. will conclude the Fall Webinar Series. We will take a deep look into options of which HDSAIs to use in 2022 and beyond – prioritizing your questions. During the second half of the webinar, we will have breakout rooms for you to discuss specific questions with program staff. Register here if you haven’t already. To help us prepare content for your questions, you can share your questions with us ahead of time!
Have you missed previous recordings? Remember that they’re recorded and archived online!
November Board Decisions
As we shared during a Special Update on November 22, the NCLHDA Board approved two decisions last month impacting upcoming site visits:
Which HDSAIs do I use?
For site visits starting in Fall 2022, the Board voted to allow each local health department to choose between two options:
- Use prior procedure regarding HDSAI versions of using the HDSAI Interpretation version that was in effect for the year a piece of evidence was collected, or
- Use the 2020/2021 HDSAI Interpretation for pieces of evidence collected in 2020 and 2021 and the 2022 HDSAI Interpretation for other years of evidence during the agency’s next accreditation cycle (i.e. 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022+).
An agency MUST choose to use option 1 or 2 in totality (i.e. cannot chose to use option 1 for one year or activity, but option 2 for others).
Partially Remote Site Visit Pilot
After much input, the Board decided to run a pilot program in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 where health departments can choose between two options:
- Full in-person site visit: consistent with years past
- Partially remote site visit: The Site Visit Coordinator and Lead Site Visitor will be on-site, with the remaining site visitors participating via Zoom.
Annual NCLHDA Program Update Webinar
Join us on Wednesday, January 26 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. to review 2022 Program Updates, including a thorough discussion of the Partially Remote Site Visit Pilot. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Register now!
Accreditation in Action
SOTCH Letters from DPH
We became aware during the November webinar that a number of health departments have faced challenges receiving their 2022 SOTCH Letters from NCDPH. If this applies to you, please email us at NCLHDaccreditation@unc.edu with “SOTCH letter” in the subject line.
Strategic Work Plan Update – Quarter 1
In November, we updated our Strategic Work Plan to document progress on the activities outlined for this year. We are excited to report that we are on track with our initial plan, and we would like to thank all of you for providing input along the way.
Key Dates
Tuesday, December 14, 2021 Monthly Webinar: Open Mic: 2022 HDSAI Interpretation Document from 10-11:30 a.m.
Webinar. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022: Annual NCLHDA Program Update Webinar from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Webinar. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Tips and Tricks for Accreditation Success: Stories from the Field
Archived Dashboard Tip
Once your health department goes through a site visit, the content in that dashboard group becomes archived. Once the content is archived, users can view but cannot add or edit any of the content. If you want to add a new user to an archived group to be able to view it, please email NCLHDaccreditation@unc.edu and request to have users added. All added users will only have view only access. Remember, all health departments have 10 dashboard users available to them through the Accreditation Program.
Naming Documents for the NCLHDA Dashboard
Once of the key considerations when preparing to upload information into the NCLHD Accreditation dashboard is what to name the files. Documents names matter for a couple of reasons:
- It makes it easier people on your team to easily locate documents that have been previously uploaded.
- It makes it easier for AACs to quickly review and confirm information that has been uploaded.
- It makes it easier for site visitors to find the information they need to review.
During the October 5 Bi-Annual Dashboard, a couple of AACs share the naming conventions they use. Here is what they shared:
- Activity number first, then letter, then year, then year: 01A 2020 Community Health Assessment
- Activity/Letter/Year/Description: 33.1.A.2020.HealthBudgetPresentation
The is no requirement on how you name your documents, it is completely up to works best for you and your agency. However, we do encourage you to adopt a consistent naming convention.
You can view the more details on this by viewing the recording of the October 5 webinar.
We want to hear from you
Share your tips and tricks for accreditation success with other local health departments across the state. If you have a tip or trick that you would like to share, send a summary – no more than 500 words – including the activity addressed and any lessons learned. Please send your submission to NCLHDaccreditation@unc.edu. Stories will be shared via these monthly highlights.