Assessment 4 Instructions: Water Quality Improvement Action Plan
Write a 5-6 page action plan for a quality improvement initiative, using the Centers for Disease Control’s WASH program as the basis for the plan to improve water quality and sanitation for a refugee camp.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/programs/
Introduction
Action plans are used across all types of organizations as a means to provide an organized structure and a series of steps to ensure the success of a strategy or initiative.
Historically, the roles of public health (PH) and health administration (HA) have for the most part operated in separate silos, with public health focused on keeping people healthy (vaccines, lifestyles, safe living conditions, et cetera) and health administration focused on treating illnesses. As the health care system evolves, influenced by changing consumer expectations, shifting reimbursement plans, and the increasing use of technology, the term population health has emerged as the intersection between the two. The interprofessional collaborations within population health will expand over time as PH administrators and HA clinicians work side-by-side with focused efforts to prevent and treat illness efficiently and effectively for the populations they serve.
Preparation
Read about the CDC’s Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Program and related pertinent information linked in the Resources for this assessment. Search the Internet for examples of action plans.
Your task for this assessment is to use the WASH Program as the basis for determining the costs and benefits associated with establishing the program in a refugee camp. You will also research and propose ways to measure the benefits of program performance.
Assume the role in the scenario:
Scenario: You are a health administration consultant hired by a government ministry to develop a quality improvement action plan to improve water quality and sanitation for a refugee camp with a current population of 5,000. The current water and sanitation are not up to standards. Public health services are overwhelmed with medical issues. You must persuade local public health officials to undertake your quality improvement plan as their number one priority.
Instructions
Develop a 5–7-page Water Quality Improvement Action Plan for the refugee camp. You may use bullet points, phrases, charts, or tables as needed to relay information clearly and succinctly. Organize your action plan according to the following headings:
Executive Summary
Focus the reader on the issue at hand. Summarize in one sentence the most important point of each section of the plan.
Population Health
• Summarize how the WASH program complements global water and sanitation standards and supports population health.
o Articulate the global water and sanitation standards.
Scope
• Analyze the scope of what is required for a camp to meet the standards for a population of 5,000.
o Document any assumptions you make.
o What are the immediate critical steps that need to be implemented?
o What initiatives need to be taken to ensure the health of the population in the long term?
Costs
• Assess the scope of costs (personnel, education, equipment, et cetera) associated with the WASH quality improvement action plan.
o What are the emergency cost factors?
o What are the long-term cost factors?
Funding
• Evaluate potential funding sources (private, NGO, or government) that could support this quality improvement project. Explain your reasoning.
o Which sources might provide funding for emergency measures? Be specific.
o Which sources might be tapped for longer term support? Be specific.
o What partnerships could be developed?
Performance Measures
• Propose performance measures to assess the quality initiative performance.
o Qualitative: Explain a way to qualitatively assess the program performance.
Why is this an effective way to assess performance?
o Quantitative: Discuss a model that you would choose to quantitatively assess the program performance.
Why is this an effective way to assess performance?
Summary Call to Action
In this brief section, cite statistics to illustrate the human and economic costs associated with the current status of the issue. What are the costs of maintaining the status quo? What are the human and economic benefits of implementing the quality improvement plan?
Additional Requirements
Formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA standards for style and formatting.
Number of resources: Use a minimum of 7–10 resources, relevant, and current (within 5 years)
Length: 5–7 double-spaced pages, not including the title and references pages.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1:
• Analyze international entities or health care issues to determine health system needs.
• Summarize how the WASH program complements global water and sanitation standards and supports population health.
• Analyze the scope of what is required for a camp to meet the standards for a population of 5,000.
Competency 2:
• Evaluate the costs and benefits associated with implementation of a quality improvement initiative.
• Assess the scope of costs associated with establishing the WASH program.
• Evaluate potential funding sources that could support this quality improvement project.
Competency 3:
• Apply key performance measures to address a specific health issue within an international community.
• Propose performance measures to assess the quality performance initiative.
Competency 4:
• Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in health care administration.
• Write clearly and concisely, with well-organized communication that is supported with relevant evidence.
• Use current APA standards for style and formatting.
