Office of Nursing

Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

• Introduction
• History
• Progress
  • 1997 - 2001
  • 2004 - 2005
  • 2006 - 2007
  • 2008
  • Currently

Meshell McCloud: mymccloud@dhr.state.ga.us
website: http://health.state.ga.us/programs/nursing
phone: 404-657-6642 | fax: 404-463-0377

Progress 2004 - 2005

In 2004, the process for updating the 2002 QA/QI Manual began. Although consideration was given to delaying the manual revision until the new direction for public health became clearer, it was decided to proceed with plans to revise the manual in order to support the local public health momentum and ownership of QA/QI and to respond to their demands for the manual to be updated. Revisions to the manual were later postponed due to turnover in the Assistant Chief Nurse position in the Nursing Section that manages the QA/QI initiative. During 2004-2005, site visits were made by the state office QA/QI Coordinator to 13 of the 18 public health districts to assess the QA/QI process and experience. These site visits assessed such factors as learning how the districts prepared for, conducted, documented and followed up on the findings of the QA/QI processes that they used. A summary of this assessment is on file.

In 2005, the Division gained a new Director who began a new strategic direction for public health. According to Dr. Stuart Brown, Director for the Division of Public Health, “The greatest change needed is a shift from serving as the state’s safety net health care provider. We must strengthen our role as leaders for prevention and protection of the public’s health. We will never have enough resources to fulfill the role of safety net provider. We know that many communities have no alternatives today. People in these communities need preventive health services and the county health department may be their only option. However, county health departments are not resourced to serve in this capacity alone. The responsibilities for ensuring that all Georgians have access to preventive health services must be shared among many partners. Public health must galvanize support for efforts like development of federally qualified health clinics and sliding scale health service providers” (Just the PHacts, Volume 17, April/May 2007, page 1).

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