title: The role of the public health analyst in the delivery of technical assistance to state health departments for healthcare-associated infection prevention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aligned with the goals of the DHHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), in 2009 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded cooperative agreements to 51 state and territorial health departments for purposes of developing and implementing strategies to reduce HAIs. These cooperative agreements through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) were supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To systematically describe the perceptions of CDC public health analysts who delivered technical assistance (TA) to state health departments as part of the ELC cooperative agreement supported by ARRA to develop, implement, and/or expand HAI prevention programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight semistructured interviews using a standardized script were administered. Interviews were audio recorded; responses were transcribed, thematically coded, and analyzed using a qualitative immersion approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included CDC staff who provided TA to grantees of the ELC cooperative agreement supported by ARRA from September 2009 to December 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four convergent themes were identified, creating a framework of activities for the delivery of TA: acting as a liaison, facilitating training, providing administrative and program management support, and sharing/disseminating information to states. Having a liaison and providing informational resources to states were perceived as critical components of TA for HAI program sustainability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings provide a framework of core TA activities required to build and sustain capacity in state HAI prevention programs through the cooperative agreement structure. This categorization of themes can be used to assist other agencies and entities in planning for and provision of TA when utilizing cooperative agreements.
authors.affiliation: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ellingson
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: Ronda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinkowitz-Cochran
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. / Q000458:organization & administration; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D024382:Professional Role; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000379:methods; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States