WORKSHEET: Assessing Tribal Health Department Agreements for Public Health Services

WORKSHEET: Assessing Tribal Health Department Agreements for Public Health Services

This following worksheet can be used by Tribal health departments for assessing the need for formal agreements to strengthen their Tribal public health systems. The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards and Measures, Version 1.5 are referenced as a standard by which to build this capacity.

PHAB Domains / Tribal Entities Should Ask / Record your Response
Informal agreement, written agreement (MOU, MOA, contract, resolution, letter of agreement, policy) / Acceptable PHAB Documentation / PHAB MeasurePage
Domain 1: ASSESS
Surveillance systems / What is your process(es) and/ or protocol(s) for the collection, review, and analysis of comprehensive surveillance data on multiple health conditions from multiple sources? / MOUs, MOAs, or other formal written agreements may be used as documentation to demonstrate processes, protocols, roles and responsibilities, confidentiality protection and reporting. / Measure 1.2.1 A
Page 31
(1 department-wide process or protocol or set of protocols)
What is your 24/7 contact system? / Contract or agreement must be submitted IF the 24/7 contact system is provided by an outside entity / Measure 1.2.1 A
Page 32
(1 system or protocol)
DOMAIN 2: INVESTIGATE
Investigations of health problems, environmental and/or occupational health hazards / What are your protocols for investigations? How are responsibilities assigned? / An MOU/MOA or other agreement, must be provided IFthis function is carried out in full or in part by a federal agency, other health department, or other entity to demonstrate the formal assignment of responsibilities for investigation of health problems and environmental and occupational public health hazards / Measure 2.1.1 A
Page 60
(1 protocol or set of protocols)
What are your collaborative working relationships that are needed to investigate reports of reportable diseases and environmental public health problems? / The department must provide contracts/MOAs/MOUs/ agreements/funding agreements that document established partnerships for the investigation of outbreaks of disease, health care associated infections, or environmental public health hazards. / Measure 2.1.4 A
Page 66
(2 examples)
Access to resources for rapid detection, investigation, containment/mitigation of public health problems and public health hazards / What is our 24/7 emergency access to epidemiological and environmental public health resources capable of providing rapid detection, investigation, and containment/mitigation of public health problems and environmental public health hazards? / The health department must provide a list and description of contracts, MOA/MOUs, or mutual assistance agreements that define access to resources to assist in 24/7 capacity for emergency response. / Measure 2.3.1 A
Page 78
(1 list)
What policies and procedures do we have to assure 24/7 public health laboratory coverage? / These policies and procedures may be contained in the All Hazards Emergency Operations Plan or may be separate policies and procedures. Documentation could be contracts, MOAs/MOUs, or mutual assistance agreements that the department has with other public and private laboratories to provide support services. / Measure 2.3.2 A
Page 80
(1 policy, MOU, etc)
Do you have access to laboratory and other support personnel and infrastructure to provide surge capacity? / The health department must provide a list* and description of contracts, MOAs/MOUs, and/or mutual assistance agreements providing additional staff and services, including laboratory services, for surge capacity. / Measure 2.3.3 A
Page 80
(1 list)
Do you share resources and capacity between your health department, state and local health departments to provide for rapid detection, investigation, and containment/ mitigation of public health problems and environmental public health hazards? / Documentation could be policies and procedures, MOUs, or other written agreement that demonstrate plans to communicate and collaborate in addressing public health problems and environmental public health hazards. / Measure 2.3.4 A
Page 83
(2 examples)
DOMAIN 3: INFORM AND EDUCATE
Risk Communication / Who is responsible for your risk communication plan? / For Tribal health departments, documentation may include referencing an existing, approved Tribal policy that identifies another Tribal employee or program (such as the Tribal emergency management planner) as being responsible for the risk communication plan and its implementation. For smaller Tribal health departments and programs, this measure could also be metwith a written MOU or MOA with an external agency, such as a local health department, with clearly delineated roles for Tribal and non-Tribal staff and elected officials involved in the plan. / Measure 3.2.4 A
Page 109
(1 plan)
DOMAIN 6: PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS
Access to legal counsel / Do you have access to legal counsel review and advice for use as needed? / Documentation could be, for example, an MOU, a contract, a letter of agreement, or statement that a governmental attorney’s office has the responsibility to provide legal counsel to the health department / Measure 6.1.1 A
Page 161
(1 example)
Authority to conduct enforcement activities / Who has the authority to conduct public health enforcement activities? / The health department must document its authority to conduct enforcement activities. This authority may be located in a state or local code, MOU, letter of agreement, contract, legislative action, executive order, ordinance, or rules/regulations / Measure 6.3.1 A
Page 169
(2 examples)
DOMAIN 7: ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
Process to assess the availability of health care services / How and with whom do you share local data for assessment and planning purposes? / The health department must document the sharing of public health Tribal, state, and/or local data for assessment and planning purposes. Sharing mechanisms can include regional health information organizations (RHIOs) and health information exchanges (HIEs), or less formal data sharing efforts, for example, MOUs or contracts. Documentation could be examples of data sharing through reports, emails, etc. / Measure 7.1.1 A
Page 180
(2 examples)
DOMAIN 10: EVIDENCE-BASE PRACTICES
Relationships with academic institutions, research centers/institutes / Do you have a working relationship with academic institutions, research centers/institutes and or Tribal organizations and Tribal Epidemiological Centers? / In some cases, the relationship may be a formal relationship that can be documented by a contract or a MOA/MOU. In other cases, the working relationship may be less formal. In those cases, documentation can be, for example, meeting minutes, emails, or a meeting agenda that demonstrates collaboration with academic institutions and/ or research centers/institutes / Measure 10.1.2 T/S
Page 223
(2 examples)
Access to expertise for analysis of research / Do you have expert staff or access to outside experts who can analyze research and its public health implications? / The health department must show a written agreementIF the expertise is outside of the health department. (contract, MOA/MOU, etc.) that demonstrates access to such expertise. / Measure 10.2.2 A
Page 226
(2 examples or 1 list)
DOMAIN 11: ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
Administrative and management capacity / Do you manage contracts, MOU/MOAs or other written agreements? / The health department must provide contracts or MOU/MOAs or other written agreements that have been executed with other organizations or departments. (could be annual funding agreements with IHS, MOA/MOUs with Tribal Epidemiological Centers / Measure 11.2.2 A
Page 248
(need 2 examples from two different program or administrative area)