Roles and Responsibilities
The Performance and Evaluation Services Office (PESO) within the Office of the Chief Science Officer (OCSO) at the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) leads program evaluation efforts in the agency. PESO develops and distributes evaluation resources for ADH programs. It also collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to coordinate the planning, implementation, and reporting of the State Health Assessment (SHA), ADH Strategic Plan (ADH-SP), and the Arkansas State Health Improvement Plan (AR-SHIP). In addition, PESO supports programs in aligning strategic plan priorities with selected performance measures (PM) and facilitating quality improvement (QI) activities for the measures where appropriate.
Workforce
The OCSO and PESO consist of five members:
- Austin Porter III, DrPH, MPH: Chief Science Officer and State Epidemiologist, OCSO
- Savanna Ledford, DrPH, MS: Deputy Chief Science Officer, OCSO
- Rupa Sharma, MSPH, MSc: Director, PESO
- Clara Canter, MPH: Public Health Evaluator, PESO
- Chychy Smith, DrPH: Public Health Evaluator, PESO
The Deputy Chief Science Officer works closely with PESO to ensure alignment with the priorities of ADH’s executive leadership. Under the leadership of OCSO, PESO partners with staff across ADH and with external stakeholders to help implement the initiatives outlined below.
ADH Accreditation
PESO is responsible for managing ADH’s reaccreditation process and ensuring ongoing compliance of SHA, ADH-SP, AR-SHIP, PM, and QI with the Standards & Measures established by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) throughout the five-year accreditation cycle. ADH first received PHAB accreditation in 2016 and most recently secured reaccreditation in November 2024, with is valid through November 2029.
Evaluation
Another key responsibility of PESO is to evaluate selected ADH programs with an aim to strengthen programs, processes, and services in ways that directly and indirectly improve health outcomes for Arkansans. The Office aims to prioritize program evaluation to expand programs that may benefit from additional assistance and resources.
Check for resources in the “ADH Program Evaluation.” In addition, PESO assesses the management and compliance of the five foundational capabilities to determine the effectiveness of their planning, implementation, and outcomes.
Foundational Capabilities
PESO coordinates initiatives that support some of the core public health foundational capabilities of ADH. Use the tabs in the left column to explore each capability in more detail.
These capabilities include:
- State Health Assessment
- Arkansas State Health Improvement Plan
- Strategic Plan
- Performance Management
- Quality Improvement
Resources
- Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)
The goal of the accreditation program of PHAB is to improve and protect the health of communities by advancing the quality and performance of public health services. - Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
The contents and links on this website are intended to provide state and local health agencies with the support needed to improve their performance. - Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Through its performance improvement projects, ASTHO aims to foster a culture of quality improvement in state and territorial health agencies and systems. ASTHO’s website provides information on performance management leadership, quality improvement, and accreditation. - National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
NACCHO provides tools, links, and technical assistance to local health agencies around performance management, quality improvement, accreditation preparation, community health and improvement planning. - Public Health Foundation (PHF)
PHF offers tools and resources to support public health agencies’ performance management and quality improvement activities, across the country.
Contact
PESO
4815 W. Markham Street, Slot 5
Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 614-5367
[email protected]