New Releases 
Fall 2023 Interim Accreditation Administrator
As of August 1, Margaret Benson Nemitz is filling the role of Interim Accreditation Administrator in order to provide a consistent program contact throughout the fall site visit cycle, during which Jo Morgan will return to her typical responsibilities as Site Visit Coordinator. Margaret’s career began in local health departments in both Virginia and North Carolina, and she has been studying the ins and outs of the accreditation program over the past three years while coordinating the program’s strategic projects. She is excited to work even more closely with agencies across our state to fill this important role during the program’s leadership transition, and she’s grateful to be taking on this work alongside fabulous staff, Board members, and site visitors.
Thank you, Jo Morgan!
Jo Morgan filled in the program’s immediate need for an Interim Accreditation Administrator between May-July. Her time spent in this role provided critical guidance and support during the program’s leadership transitions. Her attention to detail paired with her extensive experience as a former AAC and current Site Visit Coordinator with NCLHDA set the program up well to continue administering consistent, quality site visits moving forward for years to come. We are glad that Jo and Eunice Inman will continue providing leadership and coordination for NCLHDA in their role as Site Visit Coordinators, and we are so thankful for their work!
See you in Office Hours!
As of this morning, we’re back from our summer break and excited to welcome you all to office hours! If you’re new to this space, office hours are an informal space where accreditation team members can ask program staff questions in small group formats.
Accreditation in Action
Fall Site Visit Season is Here!
Fall site visits will be conducted between August 30 and October 12 this season, and dashboards lock to agencies this Friday, August 4. Great work to the nine agencies who are in the final stages of uploading their evidence into the dashboard! As we discussed in Regional Workshops, now is a great time to support neighboring agencies going through accreditation this cycle with words of encouragement and maybe even a mock site visit to ease the stress!
Fall Training Registration Open until September 6!
Don’t forget to register for our in-person Accreditation 101: New AAC Training on September 13 from 10 am – 3 pm in Winston-Salem, NC. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. Please remember that the Bi-Annual NCLHDA Dashboard Overview Webinar, taking place September 12 from 10 am – 12 noon (virtual webinar), is a pre-requisite to New AAC Training.
Helpful Resources
Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) 2.0
Last month, NACCHO released the MAPP 2.0 Handbook. This handbook provides detailed guidance, worksheets, and resources for each step of the updated MAPP process that was released last year to guide Community Health Assessments and Improvement Planning. The handbook includes ideas that could inform many accreditation activities related to CHAs, CHIPs, community engagement, data collection, and analysis. You can download the handbook, along with additional tools and resources, from the NACCHO Toolbox. Note: these resources are free to download; however, you will be asked to create or sign into a MyNACCHO account.
Key Dates
TODAY, Wednesday, August 2: Office Hours, 9:00-9:45 am
Virtual. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Wednesday, September 6: Registration deadline for Accreditation 101: New AAC Training Register.
Wednesday, September 6: Office Hours, 9:00-9:45 am
Tuesday, September 12: Bi-Annual Dashboard Overview Webinar, 10 am-12 noon
Virtual. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Wednesday, September 13: Accreditation 101: New AAC Training, 10 am-3 pm
In Person. Winston-Salem. There is a $25 cost to attend, and registration is required. Register.
Interested in exploring all upcoming events? Check out our Calendar page online!
Stories from the Field
Highlights From Winter 2023 Site Visits
In the coming few months, we will continue to share some of the best practices we heard through the Winter 2023 site visit cycle. This month, we’re focusing on best practices related to engaging with policymakers and agency strategic plans (Benchmarks 14-15):
Highlight 1, Activity 14.2: Site Visitors identified two best practices in Winter 2023 for Activity 14.2: Supporting Policymakers in Priorities and Programs. In Orange County, the Site Visit Team identified the Board of Health`s supportive relationship with the health director and the department, as evidenced through detailed Board of Health meeting minutes, as a best practice. The Site Visit Team also identified Hoke County’s Board of Health meeting minutes as detailed and clearly identified the people involved in the meeting.
Highlight 2, Activity 15.1: Site Visitors also identified best practices in Winter 2023 for Activity 15.1: Agency Strategic Plan. As an example, at Hoke County Health Department, the Site Visit Team identified their strategic plan format as a best practice. The Site Visitors found the document easy to comprehend, informative, and visually appealing. Incorporating the CHA results and obtaining community feedback on the strategic planning process through a survey was also highlighted as a best practice.
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.