Anatomy of a public health agency turnaround: the case of the general health district in Mahoning County.
A turnaround describes an organization's ability to recover from successive periods of decline. Current and projected declines in US economic conditions continue to place local public health departments at risk of fiscal exigency. This examination focused on turnaround methodologies used by a local public health department to reverse successive periods of operational and financial declines. Illustrations are provided on the value added by implementing financial ratio and trend analysis in addition to using evidence-based private sector turnaround strategies of retrenchment, repositioning, and reorganization. Evidence has shown how the financial analysis and strategies aided in identifying operational weakness and set in motion corrective measures. The Public Health Uniform Data System is introduced along with a list of standards offered for mainstreaming these and other routine stewardship practices to diagnose, predict, and prevent agency declines.
College of Health, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA. peggy.honore@hhs.gov
Peggy A
PA
Honoré
Matthew
M
Stefanak
Scott
S
Dessens
D019985:Benchmarking / Q000379:methods; D002017:Budgets / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D057172:Economic Recession; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005380:Financing, Government; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D009111:Local Government; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009820:Ohio; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000191:economics*; D012308:Risk Management