| Florida
Department of Health
Scope of Work:
The Florida
Department of Health (FDOH) is a large state agency with multiple
public health functions, service programs and various health care
providers spread out across the entire state. Florida is a large and
fast growing state with very diverse public health care and health
quality assurance issues. FDOH
has been faced with having to provide more and more services to its
customers and service providers within ever tightening fiscal
restraints and with increasing public scrutiny and concern. FDOH has
responded in many ways and one way was in the establishment of an
Office of Quality Improvement, which provides education, training and
support to FDOH managers and employees. The Office of Quality
Improvement is also responsible for ensuring the department is
learning and using quality management tools in order to provide cost
effective public health services to its customers and stakeholders.
Sterling Institute
was chosen to provide a supervisory/management development program for
new and experienced supervisors and managers on the use of quality
management principles and effective management practices. A tailored
program was crafted with the efforts of the professionals within the
Office of Quality Improvement that includes prework and exercises from
the FDOH environment. Sterling Institute’s Management Practices
Survey (MPS) assessment instrument was also chosen as a tool to
provide measurable feedback for each FDOH supervisor/manager on work
unit effectiveness. Composite
results from the survey have provided FDOH with an assessment of the
management practices and habits throughout the department.
Accomplishments:
Several
hundred supervisors and managers have completed the program and the
program evaluations have exceeded expectations. Many reports have been
received as to the usefulness of the program exercises and tools.
Follow-up programs to re-administer the MPS to measure change have
been conducted and the results are very positive.
Consulting and support for the FDOH Bureau of Labs was provided
on management development and strategic planning as a result of the
supervisory development program success. More programs are scheduled
and plans are in the works to expand the program to county health
departments using a train the trainer approach. |
