Scheduling a site visit is Step 4 of the accreditation process, but before a site visit can be scheduled the following steps must be completed by the LPHA:

• Application and application fee submitted and accepted by MICH;
• The Prerequisites (CHA, CHIP, and Strategic Plan) uploaded to Dropbox and approved by MICH;
• Accreditation fee submitted and accepted by MICH;
• A completed Standards Workbook uploaded to Dropbox;
• All supporting documents uploaded using the Dropbox format sent to the LPHA via the liaison;
• An email sent to MICH detailing steps 1-5 have been completed.

Each reviewer is a qualified public health practitioner. Two reviewers and the assigned MICH liaison make up the site review team. The LPHA will be notified of the names and qualifications of the review team prior to the visit to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

Before coming on site, reviewers will examine the LPHAs completed Excel Standards Workbook and the supporting documentation found on Dropbox. Measures that can be substantiated from these documents, the local public health department’s web site, or reports posted on the MDHSS web site will be examined. They review process may take up to 3 days and includes several conference calls with the review team. If any questions arise from the conference calls, the liaison will contact the LPHA with a detailed list of questions and set a timeline for re-submission of materials.

Upon arrival, the review team will meet with staff and governing body members to provide an overview of the site visit process. Reviewers will be onsite during normal business hours for no more than one day. During the site visit, the applicant’s policy manuals, personnel files, brochures, meeting minutes, community health assessment reports, and other documents and files will be examined. Only those documents that have not been posted on Dropbox need to be ready for the reviewers. Reviewers will interview staff members and representatives from the health department’s governing body to verify the accuracy of the documents submitted and to initiate a discussion on any questions that might have arisen to determine if the agency is meeting standards as recorded in the Workbook.

At the conclusion of the site visit, an exit interview will be conducted during which reviewers will discuss areas where the agency excels and identify areas with opportunities for improvement. The administrator may invite staff and governing body members to participate in the exit interview. At no time will the reviewers indicated if the LPHA meets the accreditation standards as that decision is entirely up to the MICH Board.

The next business day, the reviewers will write a detailed Feedback Report of their findings and will present the report along with their recommendation at the next scheduled meeting of the Accreditation Council. The Feedback Report will describe how the LPHA met the standards and measures, opportunities for improvement, and note any exemplary or best practices that were observed.