PHILADELPHIA— The Health Department today announced it has successfully completed a review process to maintain national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The nonprofit PHAB works to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation. In maintaining its accreditation status for another five years, the Health Department has demonstrated that it meets PHAB’s quality standards and measures and has the capacity to continue to evolve, improve and advance, thereby becoming increasingly effective at improving the health of the residents of Philadelphia.
PHAB’s accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.
“Going through national reaccreditation while in the middle of responding to a global pandemic demonstrates the dedication of our Health Department staff to ensure that our work meets evolving rigorous national standards,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole. “I am proud to lead a department with such a committed, highly expert workforce, devoted to utilizing the most effective tools to advance public health, while continually looking for ways to improve our work.”
The Health Department achieved national initial accreditation status through PHAB in November of 2015, after undergoing a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it met a set of quality standards and measures.
“We are extremely pleased to be at the point in the accreditation program where the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, along with many others, are successfully maintaining their five-year accreditation status through PHAB,” said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, FAAN. “In so doing, these health departments are assuring their communities that the value of accreditation is long-term — not a one-time recognition — and that continual improvement is the hallmark of a 21st century organization.”
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. PHAB-accredited health departments demonstrate great leadership by placing their work for peer review, with the goal of using the feedback obtained during the process to improve the services they provide to their communities.
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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 department accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, state, local, Tribal, and territorial levels. For more information, contact PHAB Communications Manager Janalle Goosby at . Learn more about PHAB and accreditation at www.phaboard.org, and by signing up for the PHAB e-newsletter.
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What is public health accreditation?
Public health department accreditation is defined as the development of a set of standards, a process to measure health department performance against those standards, and reward or recognition for those health departments who meet the standards.
Accreditation through PHAB provides a means for a department to identify performance improvement opportunities, to improve management, develop leadership, and improve relationships with the community. The process is one that will challenge the health department to think about what business it does and how it does that business. It will encourage and stimulate quality and performance improvement in the health department. It will also stimulate greater accountability and transparency.
Accreditation documents the capacity of the public health department to deliver the three core functions of public health and the Ten Essential Public Health Services. Thus, accreditation gives reasonable assurance of the range of public health services a department should provide. Accreditation declares that the health department has an appropriate mission and purpose and can demonstrate that it will continue to accomplish its mission and purpose.
PHAB is working with NIHB to ensure that accreditation standards address the specific needs and challenges of the Tribal public health programs. As the national public health accrediting body, PHAB recognizes the unique and critical role that Tribal governments have in developing the accreditation program. As PHAB continually tests, the accreditation standards, measures and procedures through the upcoming reviews; the Tribal health programs will have an opportunity to provide important feedback on the accreditation program during each of these critical review periods.
What public health accreditation means for Indian Country
The goal of the accreditation program is to improve and protect the health of the Tribes by advancing the quality of public health services. Through its work with NIHB, PHAB understands that enhancing public health in Indian Country means addressing a complex set of services that are often provided by a diverse group of partners and stakeholders. Tribal leaders and health officials are giving valuable input into the creation of the accreditation standards and the process of becoming accredited, and therefore are taking an active role in ensuring that Native communities are safe, healthy places to live.
To download a copy of Exploring Tribal Public Health Accreditation, please click here.
Why accreditation matters to tribal public health
The expectation is that accreditation will strengthen all public health departments and the services they provide, which will contribute to improved community health. Accreditation can benefit Native communities in various ways, including:
- Responsibility and visibility. Implementing accreditation standards can support Tribal governments in their efforts to improve their community’s health.
- Performance feedback and quality improvement. The accreditation assessment process provides valuable, measurable feedback to public health programs on their strengths and areas for improvement.
- Valuable partnerships. The accreditation process encourages strong, active partnerships between public health practitioners, stakeholders and community members in Indian Country.
- Reducing health disparities. The accreditation process promotes building and enhancing public health services so that the same level of high quality public health services is available to everyone.
Who is eligible?
The governmental entity that has the primary statutory or legal responsibility for public health in a Tribe, state, territory, or at the local level is eligible to apply for accreditation.
To be eligible, such entities must operate in a manner consistent with applicable federal, Tribal, state, territorial, and local statutes. A health department must meet one of the following definitions to apply for PHAB accreditation:
Tribal Health Department
A Tribal health department is defined, for the purposes of PHAB accreditation, as a federally recognized Tribal government*, Tribal organization, or inter-Tribal consortium, as defined in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as amended. Such departments have jurisdictional authority to provide public health services, as evidenced by constitution, resolution, ordinance, executive order, or other legal means, intended to promote and protect the Tribe’s overall health, wellness and safety; prevent disease; and respond to issues and events. Federally recognized Tribal governments may carry out the above public health functions in a cooperative manner through formal agreement, formal partnership, or formal collaboration.
*As evidenced by inclusion on the list of recognized Tribes mandated under 25 U.S.C. § 479a-1. Publication of List of Recognized Tribes.
What does it cost?
With the launch of public health department accreditation in September 2011, PHAB begins to operate like other accreditation organizations. As is typical in that industry, PHAB instituted a fee structure to manage and maintain the national accreditation process. This is an important step toward strengthening the country’s public health infrastructure through quality improvement and the ongoing identification of best practices.
Please refer to PHAB’s website for the full Fee Overview: click here
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Ahniwake Rose
Director, Public Health Policy and Programs
Phone: 918-884-8274
Washington, DC 20003[email protected]
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