Success Stories
The ASTHO STAR Center works with a variety of state and territorial health agencies to strengthen administrative readiness and organizational capacity. By providing tailored support and resources, agencies improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness. The following success stories showcase tangible improvements achieved by collaborating with the STAR Center’s services.
Texas Leverages ASTHO Program to Advance Workforce Strategy
Texas leveraged ASTHO's Peer Assessment Program to enhance its public health infrastructure and workforce strategy. This program allows health agencies to assess their operations against evidence-informed indicators, fostering modernization and efficiency. By engaging external peers, Texas gained valuable insights for addressing challenges in public health, ultimately aiming to improve service delivery and organizational capacity.
Improvements in Public Health Hiring Practices
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Prevention Services Division is streamlining its hiring process to reduce bias. Changes include diversifying application questions to highlight varied skills, moving away from overemphasizing formal education, and using salary data for consistent, unbiased compensation. These efforts promote diversity and aim to attract a wider range of qualified candidates to public health roles.
Advanced Grant Payments: Creating a More Equitable Public Health System
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recognizes challenges related to funding smaller or less-established organizations that may face barriers receiving grant funding (e.g., not having the necessary upfront capital to cover initial project costs). CDPHE is taking bold steps to improve administrative processes for grant funded programs, and these steps will go a long way towards ensuring that smaller community-based organizations have the resources they need to succeed, creating greater equity in the public health system.
Improving Performance Management in Licking County, Ohio’s Environmental Health Operations
The Licking County, Ohio Environmental Health Department has implemented a comprehensive performance management system, including streamlining performance tracking, effectively communicating measures, and pursuing equitable strategies. They have learned the importance of properly pacing the integration of performance management and aligning measures with health outcomes and equity.
Alabama’s Positive Transformation Through Cross-Cutting PHIG Workplans
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is an example of an agency that has successfully worked with a cross-cutting team to implement its PHIG workplan. This article highlights the successes and challenges that ADPH shared during an ASTHO-hosted webinar on implementing PHIG workplans. ADPH focused on effective agency systems and communication for advancing PHIG workplan goals.