​Operational Excellence (OpEx)

The Office of Operational Excellence (OpEx) strategizes, coordinates, and directs the activities of departmental plans including the Strategic Plan, the State Health Assessment, the State Health Improvement Plan, the Quality Improvement Plan and its linkages to the Performance Management System, and assists in the creation of the Workforce Development Plan; directs the coordination of maintaining Public Health Accreditation; and houses the Health Equity Office.

Quality Improvement - Develops and implements the Department's quality improvement strategy; leads the coordination and tracking of the department's QI initiatives; directs department-wide process evaluations and process improvement engagements; and department-wide staff education and training.

Performance Management - develops and implements the Department's performance management (PM) strategy and structure; leads the development of performance measures; and coordinates, monitors and evaluates the Department's performance activities including performance measurement reporting, PM system operations; and department-wide staff education and training.

Performance Measures - Monitors and coordinates updates for program-level performance measures and narrative descriptions for the Governor's Budget Book

Public Health Accreditation - Directs the Department's efforts to achieve and maintain accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB); this initiative involves coordinating multiple work groups and work streams to demonstrate how the Department's work aligns with national standards and measures for delivering data-driven, evidence-based public health services to the public.

Health Planning - Working through the Healthy Pennsylvania Partnership, the Health Plans Development unit directs the development, review, and implementation of health plans, including the State Health Assessment (SHA) and the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), in conjunction with local, regional, state, and/or federal health planning, as well as other bureaus and offices across the Department of Health. Develops proposed strategies for the implementation of the SHIP and implements the plan where direct responsibility is held and promotes its implementation by others, including coordination with state government and non-governmental agencies. Leads the Health Improvement Partnership Program, organized to improve the health of the respective community.

Workforce Development - Assists with facilitation of the department's Workforce Development Plan in conjunction with Human Resources and the Deputy Secretary of Administration, to ensure accreditation standards are understood and followed.

Strategic Planning - Directs the department's strategic plan, and its process, including managing aspects of stakeholder engagement; assessment; goal, objective, key performance metrics, and vision and mission setting; development of strategies and action plans; writing; publishing; and ongoing monitoring of the Plan in the Performance Management System.

Health Equity - Directs the department's health equity efforts to provide leadership to increase public awareness of health disparities in Pennsylvania; advocate for the development of programs to address health disparities; work with policy makers, insurers, health care providers and communities to implement policies and programs that result in a measurable and sustained improvement in health status of underserved and disparate populations; collaborate with state agencies, academic institutions, community based organizations, health partners, providers and others in the public and private sectors to eliminate health disparities in Pennsylvania.

Contact Us

Pennsylvania Department of Health
Office of Operational Excellence (OpEx)
Room 903, Health and Welfare Building
625 Forster St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
717-547-3547 (phone)