1.
Internship Abstract
Title: Monmouth County Regional Health Commission (MCRHC) Competent Staff Job
Description
Name: Raiqa Salam
Preceptors: Mr. David A. Henry, Health Officer
Agency: Monmouth County Regional Health Commission #1
Purpose: Organize and align staff job descriptions with the standards of Public Health
Accreditation Board (PHAB).
Significance: The Monmouth County Regional Health Commission (MCRHC) is currently in
the process of seeking national accreditation from PHAB. According to PHAB Accreditation is
“the measurement of health department performance against a set of nationally recognized, and
practicefocused and evidence based standards”. The benefits includes providing accountability
to external stakeholders, better funding opportunities, and great communication with governing
entity. Therefore, essential to this process is having competent staff job descriptions that match
with the PHAB guidelines, to improve performance, quality and workforce development.
Method/Approach: An online orientation was required that gave a general overview of the
Accreditation process. The process consists of twelve domains, that has standards and measures.
To align staff job descriptions with the guidelines of PHAB various handouts were given. The
department's documents included personnel policies and procedure manual, packets of the
competency skills of public health nurse and administrative, and samples of completed staff
descriptions with the PHAB standards were given as guidance for the set up. Following PHAB
guidelines, the job description were neatly organized into subcategories that met with key
competencies, education, knowledge, skills and abilities.
Outcomes: The job descriptions are currently under review by the Health Officer. The job
descriptions that are under revision include Public Health Nurse, Administrative Staff, and
Senior Registered Environmental Specialist. Upon completion of review the documents will be
uploaded to PHAB for approval. Having a competent staff will improve performance
management throughout the health department, by strengthening internal and external
communication.
Evaluation: To determine the evaluation of staff, MCRHC Health Officer will be required to
monitor the staff to ensure a competent staff. Evaluation components include employee
satisfaction survey results, needs assessment of work environment, reward and recognition
programs, career ladders, promotion opportunities, and a supervisor mentoring program. These
methods would be effective in maintaining a competent staff to maximize staff capabilities and
performance, necessary for the health department to function at a high level.
