New Releases 
Annual Survey Results Posted!
Check out our Annual Survey Results, now updated with 2024 data! Thank you to the many 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.
Accreditation Administrator Role
Margaret Benzon Nemitz will return September 9 to resume her role as Accreditation Administrator after spending the last several weeks on parental leave. We are excited to welcome her back and we thank David Stone for serving as the Interim Accreditation Administrator in Margaret’s absence. David will continue in his role as the Phase 3 Coordinator and will provide additional support as Margaret transitions back into her role this month.
Accreditation in Action
Public Comment on Rule Changes
The final draft of the rule changes for accreditation standards and activities will open for review from September 18 – October 11, 2024. Program staff have been working to update accreditation standards and activities to reflect current public health practice as outlined in the Foundational Public Health Services. We’ve been acting on what you’ve told us in past surveys – to eliminate dual reporting, focus on higher level operations, and increase the value of the accreditation process. This revision will reduce the number of activities from 147 to 47. The program and the Board invite agency accreditation coordinators, health directors, and other accreditation team members to share honest, anonymous perspectives about the proposed rules. We need to hear from a wide variety of disciplines and job functions to ensure the new standards help improve performance.
Please expect another email with more information and come visit us at the NC Institute for Public Health table during the NCPHA conference this month to grab a flier and instructions for submitting feedback!
Register for Bi-Annual Trainings Today!
Sign up now for our Accreditation 101: New AAC Training on September 10 from 1 – 5 pm followed by the NCLHDA Dashboard Webinar on September 12 from 1 – 3 pm. Both trainings will be held virtually. As a reminder, the New AAC Training is a pre-requisite to the Dashboard Webinar.
Helpful Resources
Knowledge, Narratives, and Numbers: Strategic Storytelling as a Foundation toward Transformation, Online, Self-Paced Course
This self-paced course, offered by Region V Public Health Training Center, was developed to explore (1) structural and implicit biases, (2) incomplete, non-human-centered narratives, and (3) the persistent undervaluing of Indigenous voices upholding power imbalances in data collection in public health. Participants in this webinar will gain insights into several key areas of public health communication. They will explore the vital role of storytelling in effective communication practices, focusing on best practices for crafting comprehensive narratives. Additionally, the session will highlight the significance of democratizing data to enhance the accuracy and inclusivity of quantitative data collection processes. Participants will also learn practical strategies for implementing inclusive storytelling approaches for more equitable narratives within public health. CE credit is available for $9.00.
Key Dates
Tuesday, September 10: Accreditation 101: New AAC Training, 1:00-5:00 pm
Virtual. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Thursday, September 12: Bi-Annual NCLHDA Dashboard Overview Webinar, 1:00-3:00 pm
Virtual. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Wednesday, October 2: Office Hours, 9:00-9:45 am
Virtual. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register.
Interested in exploring all upcoming events? Check out our Calendar page online!
Stories from the Field
Best Practices from Fall 2023: Assurance Standard
Within the Assurance standard (Benchmarks 16-29) our site visit team identified many best practices to highlight in Fall 2023. Today, we’re highlighting one great example:
Activity 16.3, Nash County: The Site Visit Team identified the way in which the documentation was presented for this activity as a best practice. Documentation clearly showed each environmental health employee’s authorizations, current credentials, and trainings related to authorizations.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
All of you across the state have unique approaches where you have found success. To help us all learn, we love when you share your tips and tricks for accreditation success with us! If you have a tip or trick that you would like to share, send a summary to NCLHDaccreditation@unc.edu. Stories will be shared via these monthly highlights.