El Paso County Public Health one of five high-performing health departments to receive national accreditation in 2013
El Paso County Public Health has become the first public health agency in Colorado to earn national accreditation status by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). El Paso County Public Health is among five high-performing health departments to receive accreditation this year; the total number of
PHAB-accredited health departments across the United States is 19.
El Paso County Public Health has proactively aspired to become one of the first Public Health organizations in the country to obtain national accreditation by PHAB.
“Achieving and maintaining accreditation provides the agency with a number of benefits, including increased c redibility, accountability, and possible funding advantages,” said Public Health Director Jill
Law, R.N., M.H.A. “We will gain valuable, measurable feedback to continuously improve the quality of our work.”
PHAB is an independent organization that administers the national public health accreditation program, which aims to improve and protect the public’s health by advancing the quality and performance of the nation’s tribal, state, local and territorial health departments.
To receive accreditation, 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.
El Paso County Public Health is among the first agencies to meet the required standards and measurements to be considered accredited.
Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. Across the nation, health departments provide a range of 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 health emergencies.
Accreditation status was also awarded Aug. 20 to:
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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.