Use of national public health performance standards to assess Maine's diabetes system.

In the fall of 2003, Maine underwent a rigorous assessment of the diabetes public health system using a modified version of the State Public Health System Performance Instrument developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Public Health Performance Standards Program and other national partners. The assessment was intended to serve as the impetus for the development of a statewide improvement plan. This article details the assessment process and provides a case study highlighting the successful application of systems-based model standards for a categorical issue.