Performance Improvement

Performance Improvement

Public health performance improvement is positive change in public health capacity, processes, or outcomes through the use of clear and aligned planning, monitoring, and improvement activities. Performance improvement relies on the use of evidence and continuous, formal activities that strengthen public health organizations and systems. It can occur and be measured at the system, organization, program, or employee level.

NACCHO Announces 2019-2020 SSSC TA Cohort

NACCHO and the CDC are excited to announce the health departments and communities selected for this year’s Strong Systems, Stronger Communities (SSSC) Technical Assistance (TA) cohort. The SSSC initiative supports local health departments (LHDs) in completing public health performance improvement projects through a tailored in-person and virtual training, TA program and peer networking.

Marion County Public Health Department (Indianapolis, IN), Logan County Health District (Bellefontaine, OH), Florida Department of Health Escambia (Pensacola, FL), Napa County Public Health (Napa, CA), Wauwatosa Health Department (Wauwautosa, WI), Mercer County Health Department (Aledo, IL) and San Juan Basin Public Health (Durango, CO) were selected for this year’s SSSC TA cohort through a competitive process. Through the training and TA provided, these sites will work to address the social determinants of health and health equity on a range of topics including infant health, mental health, food insecurity, and poverty. Each team will hold an Equity Action Lab with their communities, during which they will work with community partners and community members to identify, design and test solutions to make advancements in a short period of time.

Visit the NACCHO SSSC website for more information on the SSSC program and previous sites selected.


The Performance Improvement team at NACCHO has expertise in the following areas. Click on any of the links below to find our tools, resources, and current and past projects in each of these areas.

Public Health Infrastructure

Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships

MAPP is a community-driven strategic planning initiative. Find resources like the MAPP Handbook here

Public Health Infrastructure

Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships

Public Health Infrastructure

Healthy People 2030

Learn about NACCHO's work with Healthy People 2020 and the roll-out of Healthy People 2030, and find social determinants of health resources

Public Health Infrastructure

Healthy People 2030

Public Health Infrastructure

Quality Improvement

NACCHO offers local health departments resources for implementing quality improvement processes.

Public Health Infrastructure

Quality Improvement

Public Health Infrastructure

Performance Management

A structured, data-driven approach to identifying and prioritizing opportunities for improvement

Public Health Infrastructure

Performance Management

Public Health Finance

Read about our resources that help LHDs enhance their understanding of local public health finance.

Public Health Finance

Public Health Infrastructure

Strategic Planning

This section contains information about strategic planning for local health departments.

Public Health Infrastructure

Strategic Planning

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Public Health Accreditation Board

Click here to learn more about the Public Health Accreditation Board and how your LHD can benefit.

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Public Health Accreditation Board

Ci  Resources  Crumpled Paper

Public Health Infrastructure

Change Management

Learn more about NACCHO's change management portfolio.

Public Health Infrastructure

Change Management

The NACCHO PI team has a wide range of expertise and extensive experience with providing PI related technical assistance (TA) to LHDs. NACCHO staff are available to take ad-hoc TA requests via phone or e-mail.* Listed below are examples of common TA requests:

  • Expert guidance/consultation – NACCHO staff can provide guidance or advice as you are engaging in PI processes. For example, LHDs may need strategies for gaining partnership buy-in during a community health improvement planning process, completing a QI project, or designing a strategic planning agenda.
  • Peer-to-peer connections – With a multitude of LHD relationships and knowledge of PI activities across the field, our staff are well positioned to facilitate peer-to-peer connections, connecting LHDs working on similar PI goals or challenges.
  • Identifying resources – As LHDs begin to implement PI processes, we can assist in directing you to the most relevant resources based on your needs.
  • Accreditation documentation review – NACCHO staff may serve as an objective third party reviewer of your accreditation documentation, up to 2-3 hours of staff time. For example, we can provide feedback on strategic plans, community health assessments and improvement plans, QI plans, workforce development plans, or other documentation for the PHAB Standards and Measures.

*Please email [email protected] for TA requests and questions. There may be a fee associated with more in-depth TA. NACCHO is also available to provide in-depth, fee based consultation services including in-person trainings and facilitation of performance improvement processes. For more information, please see NACCHO consulting.

See our PI Curriculum and Webinars page for the archived PI curriculum and our archived webinars on a variety of PI topics, listed in chronological order.

Performance Improvement Success Stories

Read our new Performance Improvement success stories from Columbus Public Health and Salt Lake City Public Health, where rigorous quality improvement (QI) led to enhanced teamwork and effective fiscal management.
Performance Improvement Success Stories August 2019

NACCHO Stories of PI Impact

Two local health departments share stories of PI impact in the videos below.

Columbus Public Health Success Story

Salt Lake County Performance Improvement Success Story

Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Stories from the Field

NACCHO's Stories from the Field highlights local health department successes, challenges, and innovations. Public health is evolving to take a more holistic approach to population health by focusing on the social determinants of health (SDOH)—the conditions in which people are born, live, work, and age, and which are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources. In 2019, NACCHO added Healthy People 2020 SDOH tags, according to the specific SDOH areas addressed through the initiatives, to the Stories from the Field. It is now possible for communities to see how SDOH are being addressed at the local level to ameliorate a broad range of health concerns. Find local examples of SDOH interventions here.

Additional Publications

NACCHO’s Performance Improvement team makes it a priority to monitor and contribute to the latest public health performance improvement research and editorials in the field. These publications, authored by NACCHO staff or related to NACCHO PI programs, are geared toward public health practitioners offering peer reviewed research, the latest trends, and various field perspectives on the latest performance improvement happenings at the local, state, and national levels. Find performance improvement literature here.

Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Ashley Edmiston

Director, Workforce Development

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Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Anna Clayton

Senior Program Analyst

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Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Asia Island

Program Analyst, Assessment

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Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Bianca Lawrence

Senior Program Analyst, PHIS

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Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Jada Johnson

Programs Analyst, PHIS

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Join the Performance Improvement Virtual Community

NACCHO has established a virtual community of local health department (LHD) staff who work on Performance Improvement to support learning, engagement, and information exchange among LHDs. At this time, the community will be facilitated via NACCHO’s Virtual Communities. To join the community, complete the form below.

Please contact Asia Island, Program Analyst, Performance Improvement, at [email protected] with any questions.

To get the latest information on public health performance improvement tools, resources, best/promising practices, and funding opportunities, sign-up to receive NACCHO’s PI Compass e-newsletter. Each issue features resources and events under the performance improvement umbrella, including accreditation, quality improvement, performance management, CHA/CHIP, and health equity.

Please forward this information to your colleagues and partners, and encourage them to subscribe. To subscribe, please log-in to your My NACCHO account. If you do not have a “My NACCHO” account you can sign up by clicking here.

  • Once logged on click on “My Subscriptions” in the left navigation menu
  • Check the box for “PI Compass”
  • Click “Save” at the bottom of the page

For more information about our Performance Improvement team, you can use the form above or email [email protected].

Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Peter Holtgrave

Senior Director, PHIS

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Public Health Infrastructure and Systems

Deya Greer

Lead Analyst for Workforce and Leadership Development

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