LAUSR

Over the past few decades, Ohio has consistently fallen near the bottom of America’s health rankings, with significant disparities and inequities for many health outcomes by race, income, and geography. In December 2014, Ohio received a grant that catalyzed efforts to address these challenges. The federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation awarded Ohio a 4-year $75 million State Innovation Models test grant, which required a population health plan. The plan objectives were (1) to make recommendations about population health planning and infrastructure in Ohio and (2) to align health priorities among public health and health care. With a population of 11 million residing in 88 counties with more than 100 local health departments (LHDs) and multiple health care systems across the state, developing a coordinated population health planning infrastructure was imperative. Ohio’s new statutory requirement for mandatory public health accreditation for all LHDs by 2020 added significant momentum to these efforts. Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards and Measures provided the necessary framework for this process.