Amy’s Abroad!
Amy Belflower Thomas, our Accreditation Administrator, is off across the pond enjoying a much-needed vacation for much of the month of May. As such, it is more important than ever to direct all accreditation emails to NCLHDaccreditation@unc.edu so that we can appropriately respond to your questions. Amy will respond to any interpretation-specific questions at the end of May upon her return.
New Releases 
Annual Survey is Live!
As we spring into site visits again, we are eager to hear your feedback from our strategic work of 2021-2022. We invite you to complete the 2022 Accreditation Annual Survey to help our program move in the right direction. The purpose of the survey is to learn:
- Local health departments’ experience with accreditation
- Ways that the NCLHDA program can continue to add value to the accreditation process
- Progress incorporating the program’s strategic workplan
We ask all health departments to complete this survey. All staff who are directly involved with the local health department accreditation process (Health Director, Agency Accreditation Coordinators and others with Accreditation responsibilities) are encouraged to complete the survey to ensure that a variety of perspectives are represented. Please share the information attached with your Accreditation Team Members and ask them to complete the survey. All responses are anonymous!
The survey will be open from May 4 – May 28, 2021. Visit go.unc.edu/NCLHDA2022 to take the survey.
Announcement of NCLHDA Board Ad Hoc Committee on Unaccredited & Conditionally Accredited Processes
This committee is chaired by Health Director Karen Powell of Foothills District and includes Board members Dr. Susan Haynes Little (NCDPH), Virginia Niehaus (NCDPH), and Fleming El-Amin (Forsyth BOCC) and Marcy Williams (Caswell) from the AAC Council. The purpose of the committee is to develop and/or revise policies regarding conditional accreditation and unaccredited status in order to make them more relevant and valuable to all stakeholders involved. Work will continue through the summer and fall.
Facility Tours for Upcoming Site Visits
With changes to the HDSAI Interpretation Document 2022, our team has been fielding many questions regarding facility tours. Facility tours will continue for EVERY site visit. However, visual evidence will only be assessed for activities for which agencies state in dashboard that their evidence will be via facility tour/visual review. There is no checklist regarding signage and the previously used Visual Observations Guide is longer being used as such.
Personnel Record Clarification
During last week’s AAC 101 training, we heard some questions about personnel records that we wanted to clarify. The required personnel record evidence must be uploaded in the dashboard as one pdf for each selected staff member in the personnel record sample. On-site review of personnel records is no longer an option. Remember that you will have your sample names/year two days before your site visit starts when your dashboard opens back up.
Review all Q&A from last week’s AAC 101 training.
Accreditation in Action
Equity in Accreditation
We are still recruiting six health departments to participate in one-hour focus groups (3-5 people) to gain insight into accreditation staffs’ needs and desires surrounding equity-related supports as they relate to the accreditation program! Do you think your health department might be interested? Send us an email with “Equity in Accreditation” to nclhdaccreditation@unc.edu. Participating health departments receive a $125 honorarium for their participation.
Dashboard and AAC 101 Trainings
Thank you to the dozens of AACs and accreditation team members who attended this Spring’s Dashboard and AAC 101 trainings last Tuesday, April 26. It was the largest of these trainings we have ever held, and we are excited to incorporate your feedback into the next round of training in Fall 2022.
The recording of the Dashboard webinar will be posted on our website by the end of day on Thursday, May 5. It will be posted on the Dashboard page of our website, we encourage anyone who was not able to attend to view the recording.
One of the questions posed during the Dashboard webinar was if the web browser Safari could be used. The vendor confirmed that Dashboard typically performs fine with this browser, the only reported issue has been with font sizes, which may have been resolved by this point.
Key Dates
Tuesday, May 10: Accreditation Office Hours from 9-10 a.m.
Office Hours. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Interested in exploring all upcoming events? Check out our Calendar page online!
Tips and Tricks for Accreditation Success: Stories from the Field
Helpful AAC Insights
The AAC 101 training on April 26 comprised AACs with varying levels of experience, some who were new to the role and others who were taking on a new level of responsibility or starting their role in a new health department During the training, participants shared some of what they have found helpful in their roles as AACs. One participant shared how they prepare by always being ready to be assessed, (doing the work and documenting it). This concept of “continuous readiness,” allows their communities and agencies thrive and reduces stress Others shared about the value of communication and engagement across committees and departments, including the importance of creating clear expectations and practicing “accreditation mindfulness” during meetings and making accreditation a part of the organizational culture It does not matter how long you have been an AAC we all have lessons to share! Thanks to all the participants of this training for being so engaged and willing to share! The next New Agency Accreditation Training will be held fall 2022, dates will be posted soon!
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.