New Releases 
There’s still Time! Last Chance to Register for Fall Training
Don’t miss your chance to register for our Bi-Annual Dashboard Overview Webinar or Accreditation 101: New AAC Training next week! We will close registration this Friday, September 8 at 5:00 PM.
Annual Survey Results Posted
Check out our Annual Survey Results, now updated with 2023 data! Thank you to the 140 respondents who provided feedback in May of this year so that the program can reflect and improve. This year’s responses followed previous years, highlighting strengths while also pointing out opportunities to focus improvements.
Public Comment Summary Report
Not only did we receive valuable data about the program overall through the annual survey, we also received 81 public comment submissions regarding the proposed standards and activities. We have summarized what we heard through this preliminary public comment period in a brief summary report. The standards workgroup already decided on a handful of changes to the proposed activities based on feedback, and the program is taking additional time this fall to hold conversations to ensure what is proposed for rules changes meets current and future needs for local health department accreditation.
Accreditation in Action
Troubleshooting NC Tracks Accreditation Verification
As more health departments go through NC Tracks reverification, we wanted to take a moment to share guidance and updates on how to provide accreditation verification. NCLHDA does not provide accreditation numbers to accredited agencies, which NC Tracks is aware of. We are working on finding a better solution to the accreditation verification process, but in the meantime, we have received guidance for agencies to enter “99999” as an Accreditation Number with an expiration date of “12/31/9999.”
You may be asked to upload a piece of documentation showing that you are accredited. For the time being, we encourage you to refer to your Reaccreditation Letter that you were sent after your most recent site visit and adjudication process.
Onboarding New Board Members
We are so excited to onboard four new board members to the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board this fall! Our new board members will be joining us for Accreditation 101 training next week as a component of their onboarding process. Each of these new board members were recommended to the Board through their representing body (Association of North Carolina Boards of Health, North Carolian Association of Local Health Directors, and North Carolina Association of County Commissioners) and appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Interested in learning more about our Board representation? Check out the NCLHDA Board Operational Guidelines!
Accreditation Staff Out and About!
NCLHDA staff and NCIPH more broadly look forward to seeing many of you in person this month, whether at our in-person Accreditation 101 training, through a site visit, or perhaps learning together in community at the North Carolina Public Health Association Fall Conference in Concord!
Helpful Resources
North Carolina Public Health Association Fall Conference
We are excited to attend NCPHA’s 2023 Fall Education Conference, Remodeling Public Health: Tearing Down Stigma and Building Resilience for a Healthy NC, September 27-29. Registration is still open if you are interested in joining! We are excited to learn in community with many of you in this space.
Key Dates
TODAY, September 6: Office Hours, 9:00-9:45 am
Virtual. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Friday, September 8: Extended registration deadline for Bi-Annual Dashboard Overview Webinar and Accreditation 101: New AAC Training
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
We continue to share some of the fabulous best practices we heard through the Winter 2023 site visit cycle. This month, we’re focusing on best practices from Activity 19.1, where the site visitors captured three detailed examples from the field:
Highlight 1, Activity 19.1: The Site Visit Team was impressed with the Navigator/Connector Cumberland County Health Department has positioned at the library once a week to assist the Homeless population with obtaining resources needed such as Medicaid application assistance, scheduling appointments at the health department for needed services. They decided to do this because there was a growing homeless population around the library and they believed this would be the best location to reach these individuals. The Site Visit Team identified the positioning of a navigator/connector at the local library once per week to assist the homeless population with obtaining resources such as Medicaid application assistance and scheduling appointments for needed services as a best practice. The library was identified as an ideal location due to the number of homeless individuals congregating near the library.
Highlight 2, Activity 19.1: The Site Visit Team identified the relationship between Davie County Health and Human Services and Kintegra Family Medicine, an FQHC, as a best practice. Kintegra Family Medicine is conveniently located in the same building as Davie County Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health and provides adult primary care, diabetes and chronic disease management, and behavioral health counseling. Most recently, Kintegra has agreed to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to pregnant women who are referred by the health department for this service.
Highlight 3, Activity 19.1: The Site Visit Team identified Durham County Department of Public Health`s (DCODPH) collaborative efforts to develop evidenced-based interventions to address priorities within the Community Health Assessment for identified populations at risk. Programs identified include: DINE, Durham`s Innovative Nutrition Education, provided in neighborhood and schools; Complete Streets and Streetscape design initiatives; Bull City Strong, an initiative using evidence-based health literacy interventions to improve health outcomes; and the Partnership for a Healthy Durham.
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.