The Highland County Health Department has announced it has been awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).
Established in 2007, PHAB is the non-profit organization that administers the national accreditation program, which aims to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure and innovation.
“We are so excited to be recognized by PHAB for achieving national standards for public health practice,” said Jared Warner, Highland County health commissioner. “We hope this announcement helps to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to promoting, protecting and improving the health of our community.“
The national accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. Of the approximately 3,100 public health agencies in the nation, 364 of those organizations have reached this accreditation milestone.
“The value of becoming nationally accredited through PHAB extends far beyond the walls of the health department,” said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert. “People living and working in communities served by these health departments can be assured that their health department is strong and has the capacity to protect and promote their health. Just going through the accreditation process itself helps health departments pinpoint the areas that are critical to improving the work they do for their communities.”
Often called the backbone of the public health system, public health departments are on the front lines of communities’ efforts to protect and promote health and prevent disease and injury. 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.
Submitted by Jared Warner, Highland County health commissioner.
