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Introduction

The Ontario Council on Community Health Accreditation (OCCHA) was formed in 1981. OCCHA in an independent agency directed by a Board of Directors whoseOCCHA's Seal of Excellence members are appointed by professional associations involved in public health.

OCCHA's conviction is that the provision of quality public health programs and services requires sound administrative and operational processes. Through the accreditation process, OCCHA provides an independent, voluntary, peer evaluation of the administrative and operational aspects of local public health agencies.

To be appointed to the OCCHA Board of Directors, a representative must be active at the management/consultative level in public health and must be approved for election or appointment by the member organization which he/she is representing on the OCCHA Board.

 

Summary of Activities

June 2007 – April 2008

OCCHA’s Mandate

 To establish, review and revise accreditation standards related to governance, administration, program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

 To enhance knowledge through consultation and shared experience.

 To measure agency performance against peer set standards, provide comprehensive reports and confer accreditation awards.

 To promote and facilitate continuous quality improvement in public health units through consultation across Ontario public health units.

 To work in partnership with other community health organizations and relevant provincial ministries to promote excellence in public health programs and services.

OCCHA’s Strategic Directions

1. Strengthen OCCHA’s partnership with the MOHLTC by creating opportunities for collaboration in support of public health renewal.

2. Enhance customer service and marketing of OCCHA and the accreditation process and nurture/strengthen alliances and partnerships in support of OCCHA’s mission.

3. Encourage and facilitate organizational excellence and ongoing quality of practice (CQI) in public health.

4. Build the capacity to fulfill OCCHA’s role in support of public health renewal.

Key Initiatives for 2007-2008

1. Further review and update of the quality framework for public health.

2. Consultation with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in support of the public health renewal, performance measurement and accountability

3. Comprehensive review of the accreditation process in support of continuous quality improvement. This will include the development of annual reporting processes and tools; the review and revision of on-site survey review documents, and the review and revision of the accreditation report to more clearly capture innovation and risk management.

4. Enhanced marketing of the accreditation program and the development of guidelines and tools to assist health units in their preparations for an accreditation survey.

OCCHA’s Accreditation Award and Standards

In consideration of OCCHA’s work to support continuous quality improvement and to facilitate increased participation in the accreditation program, the OCCHA Board of Directors has recently approved a standardized accreditation award, to be implemented in January 2009. Over the next 12 months, the Principles and Standards Committee, in consultation with the OCCHA Board of Directors will be developing processes and tools to support this change in the program. It is the intention of the OCCHA Board of Directors to expand the accreditation program to include annual reviews and reporting mechanisms. In addition, the Principles and Standards Committee will be making appropriate revisions to the standards to incorporate the Ontario Public Health Standards and protocols.

In May 2008, all accredited health units will be receiving notice of the changes to the accreditation process and the potential impact on accreditation surveys currently scheduled for 2009. To facilitate a smooth transition from the current program to the revised accreditation program, OCCHA will be offering additional support through on-site presentations and program updates. As changes are approved, updates will also be provided on the OCCHA website. For further information, please contact Meighan Finlay, Executive Director, at meighanfinlay@occha.org

OCCHA is also revising its standards to reflect the new Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS). The revised accreditation standards reflect the Quality Framework that has been developed. The standards will be sent to all Health Units for comments in May 2008.

OCCHA’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Advisory Group

The CQI Advisory Group provides ongoing feedback to OCCHA on CQI initiatives and assists in priority-setting of CQI activities. Membership on the Advisory Group is open to all public health units. The Advisory Group currently has representation from 20 of the 36 public health units. For more information, please visit the OCCHA website at www.occha.org or contact Bev Russ at bevruss@occha.org

Public Health Renewal

OCCHA provided feedback on the proposed changes to the Mandatory Programs and Services Guidelines. OCCHA also participated in the consultation process for the Ontario Public Health Standards protocols. The OCCHA Board of Directors looks forward to our continued involvement in support of public health renewal, particularly in the areas of performance measurement and accountability.

Surveyor Training Workshop

A surveyor training workshop will be planned upon completion of the accreditation standards and documents review process. Workshops are organized and conducted based on the upcoming schedule of accreditation surveys. For more information, please contact Meighan Finlay at meighanfinlay@occha.org

Accreditation Surveys

OCCHA conducted one accreditation survey in June 2007. OCCHA will be conducting one additional survey prior to the end of May 2008. Health Units interested in learning more about OCCHA and the accreditation process should contact Meighan Finlay at meighanfinlay@occha.org. OCCHA would be pleased to provide a presentation to your Board of Health or Health Unit.

 
 

OCCHA's Mission Statement ] OCCHA's Strategic Plan ] OCCHA's Board of Directors ] OCCHA's Committee Structure ] OCCHA's Parnerships & Other Initiatives ] OCCHA's Newsletters ] OCCHA's Annual Reports ] OCCHA's Calendar of Events ] OCCHA's Contact Information ]

Do you need more information? Contact meighanfinlay@occha.org
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