Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02) and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced that the Arkansas Department of Health will receive a $200,000 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant to hire a performance improvement manager and performance data manager for the department.

The performance improvement manager will help create a new unit dedicated to improving accountability and efficiency at Arkansas's Department of Health. The individual will also coordinate the Department of Health's efforts to obtain accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board, which is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Earning accreditation indicates that local and state public health departments are providing the best services possible for their communities, according to standards set by the Public Health Accreditation Board. The Department of Health will aim to receive the voluntary designation as early as 2011.

The performance data manager will oversee efforts to ensure the Arkansas Department of Health has the data infrastructure it needs to maintain adequate records for Arkansans who participate in the Department of Health programs that focus on wellness, prevention and other areas, and to track their health outcomes. Improved data collection and IT capacity will help the department better assess the effectiveness of its programs.

The Arkansas Department of Health operates 94 local health units in Arkansas's 75 counties, where Arkansans can receive testing and screening for health problems, immunizations for children, and wellness and nutrition education. Other services include restaurant inspections, tobacco prevention services, management of vital records including birth certificates, and services for women, infants and children.

"This investment will enhance services for Arkansans and improve efficiency at the Arkansas Department of Health," Lincoln said. "Prevention and wellness programs help Arkansans live healthier lives and reduce future health care costs, and I will continue working to secure resources that keep our state healthy and strong."

"Healthy communities boost our economy and improve the quality of life for residents," Pryor said. "This investment will help ensure that the Arkansas Department of Health is operating efficiently and effectively, helping Arkansans receive the best care possible."

"I applaud the use of this grant funding to increase the technological capabilities of the Arkansas Department of Health to better serve our citizens." said Berry. "Practicing effective and efficient preventive medicine is key in lowering the cost of health care and improving the overall health of all Arkansans."
 
"One of my top priorities in Congress is to be more efficient with how we spend taxpayers' hard-earned money," Ross said. "This funding will allow the Arkansas Department of Health to modernize its infrastructure, improve accountability and cut unnecessary costs. This will ultimately help develop efficiency and improve services for all Arkansans."

"These funds will provide the Health Department with needed resources for developing a continuous quality improvement focus and to prepare for national accreditation at the Department. We feel that the people of Arkansas deserve high quality public health services.  Our goal is to be as efficient and effective as possible and to position ourselves to become an accredited health department under the national public health accreditation program that will be rolled out in 2011-12.  This grant will help us increase our ability to do exactly that," said Dr. Paul K. Halverson, Arkansas Department of Health State Health Officer and Director.