Public Health Accreditation Board's Accreditation Process Showcases Health Departments' Commitment to Quality and Performance Improvement
Benefits of PHAB accreditation reaching more communities as covered population continues to climb.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., August 28, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) today announced it has awarded national initial accreditation status to seven more health departments, bringing the benefits of national accreditation to 80 percent of the U.S. population. In addition, three health departments achieved national reaccreditation this week, thereby extending their accreditation status for five more years.
PHAB, the nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that administers the national public health accreditation program, aims to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing and transforming the quality and performance of governmental public health agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
"Through the achievement of national accreditation, a health department sends a powerful message to the community about its commitment to being the best organization it can be," said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN. "Accredited health departments demonstrate that they have the capacity to meet or exceed a rigorous set of public health standards and measures that accurately reflect the most up-to-date research and knowledge base."
As of August 21, 2019, a total of 36 state health departments, 236 local health departments, three Tribal health departments, and one statewide integrated local public health department system (Florida) have achieved PHAB's prestigious accreditation designation. In several states, such as Ohio, the number of health departments to reach the accreditation mile marker tops a dozen or more. For example, Richland Public Health in Mansfield, Ohio, in August became the 34th health department in Ohio to achieve national accreditation through PHAB.
"Richland Public Health and its community partners are grateful to be recognized as a fully accredited health department by PHAB," said Health Commissioner Martin J. Tremmel, RS, MPA, JD. "The national accreditation process provided the Richland County community a forum to collaborate, engage, measure and prioritize the local public health system. Our collective reaccreditation future has now become a rising tide that lifts all and commitments which include all."
Reinforcing the long-term value of national public health department accreditation, three health departments successfully achieved national reaccreditation through PHAB this week, thereby extending their accreditation status for another five years. Among them is the Kansas City Missouri Health Department (KCMO), which serves a population of nearly 490,000 people.
"PHAB reaccreditation was a challenging but crucial achievement," said KCMO Director of Health Rex Archer, MD, MPH. "We supplied evidence and proof of performance and answered probing questions from nationally recognized peer reviewers. The process of becoming accredited and maintaining PHAB accreditation requires us to be practicing both the art and science of public health in leading our community to a healthier tomorrow. We must be vigilant about quality improvement, hold ourselves up to scrutiny and be transparent in all our activities."
National initial accreditation was awarded August 21, 2019 to:
- Coconino County Health and Human Services, Flagstaff, Arizona
- County of Riverside Department of Public Health, Riverside, California
- Delaware County Health Department, Jay, Oklahoma
- Howard County Health Department, Columbia, Maryland
- Richland Public Health, Mansfield, Ohio
- Vanderburgh County Health Department, Evansville, Indiana
- Washoe County Health District, Reno, Nevada
National reaccreditation was awarded August 21, 2019 to:
- Kansas City Missouri Health Department, Kansas City, Missouri
- Livingston County Department of Health, Mt. Morris, New York
- Wood County Health Department, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
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. Subscribe to PHAB's e-newsletter by clicking here.
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, state, local, Tribal, and territorial levels. For more information, contact 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, and by signing up for the PHAB e-newsletter.
SOURCE Public Health Accreditation Board
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