6 Colo. Code Regs. § 1014-9-3

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, June 10, 2024

Section 6 CCR 1014-9-3 - Minimum Quality Standards for Public Health Services:

3.1 Each county and district public local health department subject to Section 25-1-501 et seq., C.R.S., should meet the following Minimum Quality Standards through the ongoing process of continuous quality improvement:

A. Conduct and disseminate assessments focused on population health status and public health issues facing the community

1. Participate in or conduct a collaborative process resulting in a comprehensive community health assessment

2. Collect and maintain reliable, comparable, and valid data that provide information on conditions of public health importance and on the health status of the population

3. Analyze public health data to identify trends in health problems, environmental public health hazards, and social and economic factors that affect the public's health

4. Provide and use the results of health data analysis to develop recommendations regarding public health policy, processes

B. Investigate health problems and environmental public health hazards to protect the community

1. Conduct timely investigations of health problems and environmental public health hazards

2. Contain/mitigate health problems and environmental public health hazards

3. Ensure access to laboratory and epidemiologic/environmental public health expertise and capacity to investigate and contain/mitigate public health problems and environmental public health hazards

4. Maintain a plan with policies and procedures for urgent and non-urgent communications

C. Inform and educate about public health issues and functions

1. Provide health education and health promotion policies, programs, processes, and interventions to support prevention and wellness

2. Provide information on public health issues and public health functions through multiple methods to a variety of audiences

D. Engage with the community to identify and address health problems

1. Engage with the public health system and the community in identifying and addressing health problems through collaborative processes

2. Promote the community's understanding of and support for policies and strategies that will improve the public's health

E. Develop public health policies and plans

1. Serve as a primary and expert resource for establishing and maintaining public health policies, practices, and capacity

2. Conduct a comprehensive planning process resulting in a Tribal/State/Community health improvement plan

3. Develop and implement a health department organizational strategic plan

4. Maintain an All Hazards Emergency Operations plan

F. Enforce public health laws

1. Review existing laws and work with governing entities and elected/appointed officials to update as needed

2. Educate individuals and organizations in the meaning, purpose, and benefit of public health laws and how to comply

3. Conduct and monitor public health enforcement activities and coordinate notification of violations among appropriate agencies

G. Promote strategies to improve access to health care services

1. Assess health care service capacity and access to health care services

2. Identify and implement strategies to improve access to health care services

H. Maintain a competent public health workforce

1. Encourage the development of a sufficient number of qualified public health workers

2. Assess staff competencies and address gaps by enabling organizational and individual training and development opportunities

I. Evaluate and continuously improve health department processes, programs, and interventions

1. Use a performance management system to monitor achievement of organizational objectives

2. Develop and implement quality improvement processes integrated Into organizational practice, programs, processes, and interventions

J. Contribute to and apply the evidence base of public health

1. Identify and use the best available evidence for making informed public health practice decisions

2. Promote understanding and use of research results, evaluations, and evidence-based practices with appropriate audiences

K. Maintain administrative and management capacity

1. Develop and maintain an operational infrastructure to support the performance of public health functions

2. Establish effective financial management systems

L. Maintain capacity to engage the public health governing entity

1. Maintain current operational definitions and statements of the public health roles, responsibilities, and authorities

2. Provide information to the governing entity regarding public health and the official responsibilities of the health department and of the governing entity

3. Encourage the governing entity's engagement in the public health department's overall obligations and responsibilities

3.2 Provision of the Minimum Quality Standards shall be in accordance with the Core Public Health Services as defined in 6 CCR 1014-7.

6 CCR 1014-9-3