Reflections on service, learning, and connection from Dr. Karla Buru of the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
Volunteering as a Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Site Visitor since 2019 has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career. As a Site Visitor, I help enhance public health systems that serve millions and protect the health of communities across the country. And through this work, I have gained a deeper understanding of public health accreditation, been inspired to improve my health department, and have contributed to the greater good.
Being a Site Visitor has given me the opportunity to connect with and learn from a variety of health departments, PHAB staff, and peer Site Visitors. With every site visit, my knowledge of the Standards & Measures deepens, allowing me to better guide my health department through accreditation activities. I also get to hear about the innovative work being done in different health departments and how they are implementing the 10 Essential Public Health Services in their communities. These visits always motivate me to keep striving to make my health department the best it can be.
During one site visit, I was especially inspired by the way the staff consistently spoke about their health department. Their positivity and pride made me reflect on how I would want my own staff to speak about our work and inspired several continuous improvement efforts in my health department. Site visits remind me that across the country, health department employees are dedicated to serving the public. It is an honor to hear them passionately talk about the work they do and the people they serve, even when they may be nervous talking to a Site Visitor.
As someone working in an accredited health department, I truly valued the role of Site Visitors in my health department’s accreditation process. Hearing what they perceived as my health department’s greatest strengths and opportunities for improvement was extremely valuable. Their feedback enhanced the accreditation experience and added another level of credibility. Knowing the feedback came from someone in the field also added depth and meaning.
I have enjoyed working with several Site Visitors who brought unique insights to our discussions, broadening my understanding of the Standards & Measures and how they can be applied. Several of them, who I would have never met otherwise, have become great resources beyond our site visit activities. This opportunity to build a more robust network of public health professionals is an invaluable benefit to my career. I am grateful for all the Site Visitors who volunteer their time and share their expertise in this way.
But most importantly, serving as a Site Visitor and being a part of health departments’ journeys towards accreditation has been an opportunity to strengthen the public health field. When health departments use the accreditation process to enhance the services they provide to their communities, they are elevating public health and improving population health.
Through my work as a Site Visitor, I contribute my expertise to help make other health departments more collaborative, data-driven, focused on continuous improvement, or even better documented for when the turnover inevitably happens–all contributing to making communities healthier.
If you want to be a part of something greater than just your organization and contribute to advancing the field of public health, I encourage you to consider volunteering as a PHAB Site Visitor. And as a bonus, you will grow your professional network and learn even more about the Standards & Measures to support your own department’s journey.
Learn more about becoming a PHAB Site Visitor.
About the Author
- Karla Buru, DrPH, MPH, MSW, serves as Deputy Director of Health Strategy and External Affairs & Chief of Staff for the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH). She has held various leadership positions related to quality improvement, governance, project management and strategic planning. Dr. Buru is a 2023 honoree of the de Beaumont 40 under 40 in Public Health.
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