List potential criteria and sources of criteria you might use when planning for an audit of the health department. In other words, where would you go to determine best practices? 2. List potential effects that might be associated with the hospital failing to meet the stated criteria. 3. Identify potential causes that may have led to the effects youve previously identified.

Case Background

The City of Titleville, specifically the Titleville Health Department, provides a wide range of health services in the city. These health services include 10 excellent, full-service hospitals. It is essential that each Titleville hospital be prepared to provide the finest quality of care regardless of the circumstances that may be prevailing.

Titleville hospitals must be prepared for bombing, plane crashes, civil unrest, and power failures. Management of the hospitals has been delegated to individual hospital administrators located in each hospital. The administrators report to executives of the Titleville Health Department but are otherwise free to manage their hospital as circumstances dictate. Health Department executives philosophy is management by exception. Administrators receive an annual appropriation from the Health Department based on a budget they prepare and submit. Hospital operations, though managed by hospital administrators, are guided by standards established by various accrediting bodies, by Federal Law, by State Public Health Law, by Titleville rules and regulations, and by policies and procedures promulgated by the Titleville Health Department. Departments of Safety and Security are responsible for assuring the safety and security of all the hospitals patients, visitors, personnel, property and equipment and are given wide discretion in discharging this responsibility.