Kelli Stader

Alumni Fellow Kelli Stader is leading the way in the Division of Public Health to start working towards public health accreditation. The new national public health accreditation program launching this Fall will examine state, local, and tribal health departments according to a variety of standards and measures established by the Public Health Accreditation Board. The PHAB standards are based on the 10 essential public health services, which Wisconsin also outlines in state statute. The accreditation process will support performance management and quality improvement efforts, will hold health departments accountable for their work, will improve communication and sharing within agencies, and will recognize excellence in those health departments meeting the established standards.

Kelli has convened a division-wide team to guide DPH through a self-assessment process according to the PHAB standards. This group will identify gaps and weaknesses to address, as well as strengths to build upon. She hopes that over the next year, the entire division will embrace accreditation as a worthwhile and beneficial addition to the world of public health!

First year (2010-11):

I am a first year fellow, splitting my time between the WI Division of Public Health, Southern Regional Office and the Milwaukee Health Department. Prior to the fellowship, I completed my MPH at the University of Minnesota in nutrition and global health. I also completed a 6-month dietetic internship in the Twin Cities. I decided to apply for the Population Health Fellowship because it seemed like a great way to learn about what is happening in public health in Wisconsin. It's a perfect opportunity to gain real world experience in a variety of public health areas, which is more than one can gain from the average job. Currently, I am working on numerous projects, from evaluating a prenatal care program to working on a nutrition education grant to assisting a WIC program with quality improvement. From my experience so far, I would highly recommend the fellowship to other recent MPH graduates. After less than three months in the program, I have already gained valuable knowledge and have gotten the chance to improve many skills I started to develop as an MPH student.