Public Health Accreditation Board’s Rigorous National Standards Now Benefiting 178 Million U.S. Residents
Alexandria, Virginia (PRWEB) March 23, 2017 -- Demonstrating their commitment to improving health and delivering quality public health services to their communities, 16 more public health departments have been awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). This week’s decisions bring another 4.5 million people into the expanding network of communities across the nation whose health departments meet rigorous national standards for delivering quality programs and services.
PHAB, the non-profit, non-governmental organization that administers the national public health accreditation program, aims to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing and ultimately transforming the quality and performance of the nation’s state, Tribal, local, and territorial public health departments. Launched in 2011 with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, PHAB’s accreditation program has become the national standard for public health and is now bringing the benefits of national accreditation to 178 million people, or 58 percent of the U.S. population.
National accreditation status was awarded March 14, 2017 to:
- Bethlehem Health Bureau, Bethlehem, PA
- Cecil County Health Department, Elkton, MD
- Center for Human Development, Inc., La Grande, OR
- City of Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services, Nashua, NH
- Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT
- Denver Environmental Health, Denver, CO
- Hamilton County Public Health, Cincinnati, OH
- Jackson County Public Health, Medford, OR
- Jessamine County Health Department, Nicholasville, KY
- Lake Cumberland District Health Department, Somerset, KY
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
- North Dakota Department of Health, Bismarck, ND
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA
- Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department, Shawano, WI
- Union County General Health District, Marysville, OH
- Washington County Public Health Division, Hillsboro, OR
“PHAB welcomes these latest health departments and their communities to the growing list of those who have put their work out for review against national standards and have been successful,” said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN. “With this week’s accreditation decisions, many more U.S. residents are now served by accredited health departments. What that means is that the people living and working in these communities can be assured that their health department is strong and has the capacity to protect and promote their health.”
To receive national accreditation through PHAB, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of public health quality standards and measures.
Commenting on the accreditation of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), Commissioner Raul Pino, MD, MPH, expressed pride in the department’s staff and the professionalism and quality of the work they carry out every day.
“Achieving national accreditation demonstrates DPH’s capacity and dedication to deliver quality services to protect and improve the health of the people in Connecticut,” Dr. Pino said. “By engaging in continuous quality and performance improvement, DPH is well-positioned to proactively respond to current and emerging public health challenges.”
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the 22nd state health department to be awarded accreditation through PHAB. One Tribe, one integrated local public health department system, and 155 local health departments have also achieved the designation, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in Los Angeles, CA.
“We are pleased and excited to be recognized for achieving national standards,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Becoming accredited by PHAB also requires an ongoing commitment to quality programs and services. We are the most populous county in the nation, serving over 10 million people, and Los Angeles County Public Health remains dedicated to its commitment and mission to protect and promote the health of all of our residents.”
Public health departments are on the front lines of improving and protecting the health and well-being of people and communities. Across the nation, health departments provide services aimed at promoting healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; ensuring access to safe food, water, clean air, and life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.
For more information, contact PHAB Communications Manager Teddi Nicolaus at (703) 778-4549, ext. 118, or email tnicolaus(at)phaboard(dot)org. Learn more about PHAB and accreditation at http://www.phaboard.org.
About the Public Health Accreditation Board
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) was created to serve as the national public health accrediting body and is jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The development of national public health accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, tribal, state, local, and territorial levels. Learn more about the Public Health Accreditation Board or visit PHAB's website and sign up here for the PHAB e-newsletter.
Teddi Nicolaus, Public Health Accreditation Board, http://www.phaboard.org, +1 (703) 778-4549 Ext: 118, [email protected]
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