AMPHO Strategic Planning Report
Thursday, August 15, 2009
Grantree Inn, Bozeman, MT
Mary Beth Frideres
Montana Primary Care Association
900 North Montana, Suite 3BHelena, MT 59601
Introduction
The Association of Montana Public Health Officials is a membership organization of local public health officials which was created to give voice to the challenges of the delivery of local public health services and advocate for efforts to improve and strengthen the public health system.
On August 15, 2009, AMPHO members met to develop a two year strategic plan. Participants included –
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| (L-R) Wendy Richards, RN - BSN, Director--Custer County Public Health (Board member); John Felton, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Operations/Assistant Health Officer--RiverStone Health (serving in an advisory capacity); Erin McGowan Fincham, AMPHO Executive Director; Jill-Marie Steeley, Administrator, Madison County Public Health (Board member and AMPHO Chair-elect); Melanie Reynolds, M.P.H., Health Officer--Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department (Board member, Past-chair); Stephanie Nelson, Health Officer-- Gallatin City-County Health Department (AMPHO Chair, Board member); Linda Best, Lead Local Public Health Official--Anaconda-Deer Lodge City County Health Department (Treasurer, AMPHO Board member); Jeanne Seifert, Lead Local Public Health Official--Dawson County Health Department (Secretary, AMPHO Board member); and Cynthia Grubb, Leal Local Public Health Official--Pondera County Health Department (Board member) |
The meeting was facilitated by Mary Beth Frideres from the Montana Primary Care Association. Mary Beth reviewed the desired outcomes for the day.
By the end of the meeting all participants will have -
- Celebrated our successes;
- Identified the role of AMPHO – what is our purpose?
- Reviewed the caucus committee structure and made changes, if necessary;
- Defined the desired relationship between AMPHO and the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS);
- Assessed the environment;
- Developed a mission statement and a shared vision for the organization;
- Identified strategic directions for the organization; and,
- Developed objectives in an action plan to move toward the directions identified by the group.
Opening Comments
Opening comments were made by Stephanie Nelson, Board Chair. Introductions and a review of the agenda followed.
Celebration of Success
The group created a list of accomplishments and key activities that have taken place over the past few years. The following is a summary of their collective effort:
We Rock!
We have developed the organization and have an ED!
Hiring Erin = a huge success!
Our charge is to be sure we are accountable to taxpayers = power!
Communication is more formalized!
Food fee issue: We can cover our dues with the increase – we are moving in the right direction!
We leverage volume - as an industry, this is a better place to be!
Caucus’ have been called together to talk about issues!
Caucus format has allowed communication between health departments with similar concerns!
We have become an organization the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) depends on!
We have developed a process for concurrence on the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grant!
We were present as a group in the legislative session!
Good working with MPHA and others!
We are viable!
We have a dues structure that encourages and enables Health Departments to join!
Emphasis on phone calls to/with locals has been big!
Having AMPHO in place has allowed NACCHO to have a point of contact!
Name recognition is becoming significant across the state!
Developing a Mission Statement
Mary Beth reminded the group that a mission statement should tell the world what your organization does, for whom, and for what benefit. The group brainstormed ideas and selected words that must be in their mission statement. This process resulted in many suggestions and edits with this result:
Analyzing the Environment
Mary Beth asked the group to consider “What’s going on – facts, guesses, trends - internally and externally to your organization, locally, statewide and nationally in regard to healthcare?” and using the sticky wall, collected the thoughts that the group members wrote down. She then asked the group to sort the ideas into similar groups and into these categories: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges. The following is a summary of the result of that process:
Strengths:
- Accreditation
- Collaboration
- Healthy community environment
- Department autonomy (locally driven)
- A lot of committed people
- Local public health becoming more of a player to policy makers
- We have good relationships with DPHS, MACO, and other healthcare organizations
- We are smaller and less complicated here
Weaknesses:
- What does public health do?
- No uniform public health system
- Accreditation
- No minimal, standard functions
- DPHHS, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are separate
- DPHHS – too many people to deal with also silos
- Decreasing federal $
- Lack of $ or issue infusion
- Increased expectations of public health
- Quality decreasing in DPHHS
- Limited transfer of knowledge
- Public health staff demographics/aging work force
- “Responsibility creep”
- “Biennial thinking”
- Decisions made in D.C. may not be appropriate locally
Opportunities:
- What should public health look like on the local level?
- Public health not clearly defined
- Accreditation for public health – increased accountability
- MT Public Health Improvement Task Force work plan
- Public health accreditation – voluntary vs. funding requirement?
- Global public health issues
- Healthy lifestyles
- New issues = new money
- Interface/integration of public health/environmental health
- Increased focus on prevention? – national health reform
- Workforce changes
- Workforce development
- Accreditation
- Promote wellness
- Policy development and advocacy goes with the mission
Challenges:
- Current economy and less resources
- Global public health issues
- Economic crisis
- Increased expectations of public health
- National Accreditation
- Budgets reduced (local and state)
- Unhealthy population
- Increased morbidity
- National economy struggles
- Dwindling resources
- Workforce reduction
- Experienced people leaving
- Population changes in MT
- Government healthcare
- Apply for something but it may not get funded
- Decreased access to healthcare
- Population changes in MT
Developing a Shared Vision
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The group brainstormed what they want to be, become, or be known for. They then fashioned their responses into this shared vision statement: |
Our Shared Vision
Drawing upon the extensive experience of its members, AMPHO will:
Be seen as a visionary organization of public health policy leaders.
Be recognized as a credible source of information about Montana’s local public health system.
Be known as an organization of diverse local public health officials that communicates with a strong collective voice.
Provide leadership in developing and communicating the role of local public health within the Montana public health system.
Build and preserve collaborative relationships that promote public health at the local level and excellence in public health service delivery.
Finding Strategic Direction
The group pondered what suggestions, ideas, or practical proposals need to be implemented to reach their vision. These were sorted into six groups and the groups were titled to identify six strategic directions. The group then assigned key components to each strategic direction. These will be developed into a detailed action plan in the future. The following is a summary of the results of the process:
1. Toward Assuring Excellence in Public Health Practice (8 votes)
Key Components:
- Assure the lead public health officials understand accreditation – AMPHO’s role will be to define the values of accreditation and communicate those
- Assess what is being done in Montana: need to understand who is doing what about accreditation – what is the PHITF and other organizations doing to do regarding accreditation?
- Act as a clearinghouse for accreditation information
- Plan an educational forum
- Develop Frequently Asked Questions on “Why Accreditation?”
- Survey membership: What are the concerns/barriers to accreditation?
- Decide and support which meetings Erin will attend
- Erin to research other states’ activities
- Erin to research where resources are (NACHHO, etc.)
- Put an MLC report on the agenda for conference calls
2. Toward Facilitating Strong Leadership (6 votes)
Key Components:
- Develop public health official orientation outline
- Need a subgroup of AMPHO to shepherd this
- Assess membership – What is important to include?
- Make recommendations to DPHHS
- - Develop plan to orient lead public health officials
- Call from AMPHO chair – What do you need?
- Develop informal mentoring system
- Research other state programs
3. Toward Building and Maintaining a Strong Organizational Foundation (6 votes)
Key Components:
- Review and refine caucus structure if needed
- Develop ways to engage membership
- Develop financial plan
- Consider if there is any role for people who are not lead public health officials?
- Review bylaws/definitions regarding representations on AMPHO
- Define benefits of membership
- Define AMPHO’s role in relation to the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA)
- Develop a communication system with MPHA and MEHA to get information out
4. Toward Improving Communication Networks (3 votes)
Key Components:
- Develop a strategic communication plan including:
- Launch website in time for the annual meeting in ‘09
- Collect a list of lead public health officials and their contact information
- Develop a way to facilitate resource sharing
- Consider use of social networking sites
- Develop email newsletter for once a month or once every two months distribution
5. Toward Advocating for a Strong Public Health System (2 votes)
Key Components:
- Partner with MPHA regarding “Legislature 101” training
- Develop legislative plan including:
- Solicit ideas from members regarding legislative issues at the annual meeting
- Develop a policy agenda (focus areas)
- Make sure membership has a voice in establishing legislative priorities
- Collaborate better on legislative strategies with MPHA, MEHA
6. Toward Leveraging the Power of Relationships (2 votes)
Key Components:
- Decide who our strategic partners are and develop an interaction plan
- Have representation on Montana Association of Counties (MACO) health committee
- Erin to meet with MPHA, MEHA, MPCA, MHA others to identify common issues and potential partnerships and report back to members
Evaluation of the Session
As it was past the time for adjournment, Mary Beth asked the group members to tell her what they liked about today’s session and what could be changed to improve it.
Several members of the group said that they liked the “sticky wall” tool and process for brainstorming and sorting. One person said the process “kept me engaged.” Others said the liked the product of the session. The facilitator was complimented. One member said the appreciated having conversation with people who she had not had a chance to talk to before. Another agreed and said they liked the face-to-face interaction. Several people mentioned their appreciation of working with others in the room.
In regard to what could change, one person was concerned about the bottled water. One person said it is a lot to do in one day and would have like to change the order so that they could “have a fresh brain.” Several people commented that the group should try to get everyone here the next time.
AMPHO Strategic Plan
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