Like many a hospital, school or business, local health departments now have the opportunity to apply for accreditation.
 
Local public health accreditation seeks to define expectations for the services provided by all health departments nationwide through a set of standards & measures.  Specifically, the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) will assess Cobb & Douglas Public Health's(CDPH) provision of the 10 Essential Services of Public Health. Though some states and health departments have developed their own forms of accreditation, there has never been a national instrument or board for local health department accreditation.

An accreditation team comprised of CDPH subject matter experts has been formed to help prepare for the accreditation review.  In late May 2012, CDPH will submit a Statement of Intent (SOI) to PHAB signaling their plans to begin the accreditation process.  In addition to preparing the necessary documentation, the next step in the accreditation process will be to submit a full application.

To learn more about the Public Health Accreditation Board and the accreditation process, please visit the PHAB website here: http://www.phaboard.org/.

Stay tuned for more updates on Cobb & Douglas Public Health's journey towards accreditation!

-Story by Emily R. Frantz, director of organizational performance & strategy management, Cobb & Douglas Public Health