Performance Management & Quality Improvement

Engaging in quality improvement (QI) and performance management (PM) is not only essential for public health agency accreditation but also for improving performance at the individual, program, and organizational levels (Source: Public Health Foundation). The illustration below (source: PHF) depicts how performance standards, performance measurement, quality improvement, data tracking, and data reporting are interconnected. PM and QI Key Components The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is aligning its PM and QI efforts with the Strategic Plan to meet Public Health Accreditation (PHAB) national accreditation standards. Key measures have been selected from the Strategic Plan’s five focus areas (see below), each measure with defined target population and timeline for tracking health

The ADH Strategic Plan represents a roadmap aimed at addressing important public health challenges and promoting well-being across the state of Arkansas. The Plan outlines the roles, priorities, and direction of the ADH over the next five years. Grounded in stakeholder input, and thoughtful planning, the ADH Strategic Plan outlines comprehensive strategies to tackle five key health issues represented by the icons below. The Performance and Evaluation Services Office (PESO) led a structured process to develop the ADH Strategic Plan. Staff across the agency completed surveys to identify and prioritize key public health focus areas, with additional input from senior leadership and the Governor’s Office. Key ADH staff members formed

Keeping Your Hometown Healthy Preventing disease and disability has been a major concern of the Arkansas Department of Health for a long time. In fact, the roots of public health can be traced back to 1832, when Little Rock’s town council created the first city board of health in the Arkansas Territory. Relatively few Arkansans died when yellow fever ravaged the Mississippi Valley in 1878, yet the epidemic’s effects proved to be the catalyst to organize the first official state board of health in 1881 – which died due to lack of funds. When the Legislature moved out of the Old State House to the current capitol building for its

HIPAA Information This information describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is committed to protecting your health information. This Notice is to inform you about our privacy practices and legal duties related to the protection of the privacy of your medical/health records that we create or receive. Downloads How we may use and disclose medical information about you? ADH staff will only use your health information when doing their jobs. The purposes of the use and sharing of health information are for treatment, payment for services and for Agency operations. Other

Mission Statement To protect and improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans. Vision Statement Optimal health for all Arkansans to achieve maximum personal, economic and social impact. What is public health? One definition – from a 1988 report by the Institute of Medicine’s “The Future of Public Health” – is this: “Public health is the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and organizing community efforts to do the following: keep the environment clean, control communicable infections, educate individuals in personal hygiene (like hand washing for example), organize medical and nursing services for the early diagnosis and treatment of disease, and develop the social machinery to ensure everyone a healthy

What is Congenital Syphilis? Congenital syphilis occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy or childbirth. Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Without timely treatment, the infection can lead to serious complications for the baby, including stillbirth, neonatal death, or long-term health issues. Arkansas has seen a 156% increase in congenital syphilis cases from 2018-2023. According to the CDC, approximately 40% of babies born to women with untreated syphilis can be stillborn or die from the infection as a newborn. Timely testing and treatment during pregnancy might have prevented 9 in 10 cases in 2022 nationwide. Health Impacts on the Baby Congenital

Protecting Arkansans through quality laboratory science, leadership, and innovation since 1913 Vision: To embody the highest standards of quality laboratory science, leadership, and innovation for the health and safety of all Arkansans.Mission: To continue testing food, dairy, and drinking water, detecting inherited genetic disorders in newborns, and helping to safeguard Arkansans of all ages against a variety of infectious diseases such as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s), Tuberculosis, Rabies, as well as chemical and biological agents of terrorism. Laboratory Services Clinical Testing The clinical laboratories at the Public Health Laboratory test for infectious agents in humans and animals, provide reference testing in support of epidemiological investigations, and serve as the State’s

What is HIV? HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). HIV enters the body usually as a result of unprotected sexual intercourse or other blood-to-blood contact with someone who already has the virus. HIV attacks and weakens the immune system by destroying helper T-cells, an essential part of the immune system. HIV is fragile and cannot survive long outside of the body. What is AIDS? The term “AIDS” stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. People who have AIDS have a defect in natural immunity against disease. People who have AIDS can get serious illnesses that would not be a threat to anyone whose immune system