Public Health Accreditation

Many public service entities (e.g., schools, police departments) are accredited; however, until recently there had not been a national accreditation program for public health departments.  Public health departments are accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), which is a non-profit agency, formed to develop and implement voluntary national accreditation.  Accreditation by PHAB signifies that a health department is meeting national standards for ensuring essential public health services are provided in the community.  The program launched in September 14, 2011 and the first health departments were accredited in February 2013.  

The Public Health Division of the Santa Cruz Health Services Agency is in the initial stages of preparing for Accreditation.  Accreditation is the measurement of health department performance against a set of nationally recognized, evidenced-based standards.  It assures that a public health department is committed to self-study and is continuously enhancing the services offered.

The accreditation process includes a pre-application; application (must have completed 3 prerequisites:  Community Health Assessment (CHA), Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), and a strategic plan); documentation, selection, submission; site visit; site visit report; accreditation decisions; annual reports; and re-accreditation (5 years later).  

Engaging in accreditation catalyzes quality and performance improvement within all public health programs and can help health departments be better prepared to proactively respond to emerging and reemerging health challenges. The accreditation assessment process provides valuable, measurable feedback to health departments on their strengths and areas for improvement. 

Accreditation will enable the Public Health Division to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness at a time when local health departments are being asked to do more with less. The Public Health Accreditation process will also give us an opportunity to work with partners to review local data along with indicators to measure and monitor health outcomes for the entire county.

Resources & Information

• Benefits of Accreditation
• FAQs
• Upcoming Meetings 
• Public Health Accreditation Board
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Public Health Accreditation Helps Drive Health Equity
• Video: Reaping the Benefits of Accreditation Across the Nation

Meeting Agendas & Materials

MAPP Steering Committee Governance