Four Health Departments Awarded Accreditation or Reaccreditation Status by the Public Health Accreditation Board


“It is important to shine a light on this important work, especially during such challenging times, as we recognize their achievement in advancing public health practice through continuous QI and using accreditation to transform their communities,” said Paul Kuehnert, PHAB CEO.

Working with partners and their communities, public health departments provide expertise, data and population health services as they serve as key leaders in improving the health and well-being of communities. To demonstrate accountability and adopt cultures that promote continuous performance improvement, many health departments strive to achieve national accreditation. Today, the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) is pleased to announce the names of four public health departments that have achieved accreditation or reaccreditation status, after completion of a systematic review process against national standards. These health departments have successfully demonstrated a commitment to a focus on accountability, equity and performance as they work to improve the health of their communities.

PHAB, the nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that administers the national accrediting program, works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing and transforming the quality and performance of governmental public health departments in the United States and abroad.

“PHAB is incredibly proud of the four health departments awarded accreditation and reaccreditation this November,” said Paul Kuehnert, President and CEO of PHAB. “It is important to shine a light on this important work, especially during such challenging times, as we recognize their achievement in advancing public health practice through continuous quality improvement and using accreditation to transform their communities.”

“We have reached an important milestone for Ross County in our achievement of PHAB accreditation. This achievement moves us closer to our vision of strong partnerships, healthy communities and healthy people,” said Garrett Guillozet, Health Commissioner for the Ross County Health Department in Chillicothe, Ohio. “As we reflect on the hard work it took to get here, we are grateful to our partners and community for their continued commitment to public health and invite them to join us in celebrating this bright spot during a particularly challenging time for all.”

“The Central Michigan District Health Department could not be more proud of being recognized for reaccreditation this week. As one of the early adopters in the country to be nationally accredited, we continue on our performance improvement journey, the importance of which has been highlighted during the pandemic,” said Steve Hall, Health Officer. “I applaud our entire team, our partners and our community for their commitment to safeguarding public health and the environment.”

PHAB, the nonprofit organization that administers the national public health accreditation program, aims to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation. Launched in 2011 with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, PHAB’s accreditation program has become the national standard for public health in the United States.

National reaccreditation was awarded November 13, 2020 to:

  • Central Michigan District Health Department, Mount Pleasant, MI
  • El Paso County Public Health, Colorado Springs, CO

National initial accreditation was awarded November 13, 2020 to

  • Ross County Health District, Chillicothe, OH
  • Unified Government Public Health Department, Kansas City, KS

For more information, contact Jessica Solomon Fisher at jfisher@phaboard.org. Learn more about PHAB and accreditation at http://www.phaboard.org. Be in the know: subscribe to PHAB’s e-newsletter.

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 funded in part 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.

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