Accredited health departments demonstrate their commitment to transparency, health equity, and quality improvement.

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) announced the awarding of initial accreditation to Boone County Health Department and reaccreditation to ten public health departments, including Oneida Nation, the Boston Public Health Commission, Dakota County Public Health Department, and the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health. The 11 total accredited health departments completed a comprehensive review process against national standards, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and continuous improvement that led to their accreditation for the next five years. 

“We commend these health departments for their unwavering dedication to excellence and their pursuit to improving community health and well-being,” said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, FAAN. “Accreditation is not just a certificate or a seal – it is a reflection of the commitment of these health departments to deliver exceptional public health services and foster trust and transparency within their communities.” 

PHAB is the sole national accrediting body for state, local, Tribal, and territory/freely associated state public health departments in the United States. Its mission is to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation. PHAB accreditation is regarded as the most prestigious form of accreditation.   

“We made the decision to pursue PHAB accreditation to hold ourselves to the highest national standards for public health practice,” said Amanda Mehl, Public Health Administrator, Boone County Health Department. “This multi-year process has strengthened our Health Department as a whole and served to advance how we operate. By streamlining processes, adopting strong policies, and enhancing existing partnerships with the local public health system and community members, we have been able to elevate the delivery of our programs. I couldn’t be prouder of our staff for this achievement, but the real beneficiary is the community we serve. And that is what we do as the chief health strategist — help our community be the healthiest possible.” 

PHAB’s accreditation process involves a comprehensive review of health department policies, practices, and performance against a set of nationally recognized, evidence-based, and peer-driven standards. These standards cover areas such as health promotion, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, and community engagement. PHAB accreditation is vital in strengthening health departments’ infrastructure and workforce development, ensuring they have the necessary systems to deliver high-quality public health services efficiently. It also serves as a catalyst for continuous quality and performance improvement, fostering partnerships and collaboration and improving accountability.  

 “We are proud of our team for the hard work and dedication to the programs and services we offer our community,” said Debra Santiago, Public Health Manager, Oneida Nation Community Health Services. “Through the reaccreditation process, we expanded and enhanced our programs, sharing the successes with our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with PHAB to achieve this huge milestone and will continue to work hard to always meet the needs of the community. This has been a rewarding experience, and we are truly appreciative to our team and to PHAB for giving us this opportunity.” 

These health departments are part of a growing network of over 400 health departments that have achieved accreditation.  

National Initial Accreditation Awarded August 21, 2024 

1. Boone County Health Department (Illinois) 

National Reaccreditation Awarded August 21, 2024

1. Boston Public Health Commission (Massachusetts) 
2. Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health (Iowa) 
3. Dakota County Public Health Department (Minnesota) 
4. Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department (Nebraska) 
5. Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Public Health (California) 
6. Marion Public Health (Ohio) 
7. Oneida Nation (Wisconsin, Tribal Heath Department) 
8. Saint Louis County Department of Public Health (Missouri) 
9. Shawano Menominee Counties Health Department (Wisconsin) 
10. Yavapai County Community Health Services (Arizona) 

For more information about this topic or other public health accreditation topics, please visit PHAB’s website: phaboard.org.

###

About the Public Health Accreditation Board
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) is a 501(c)(3) organization and is the sole national accrediting body for public health in the U.S. PHAB supports health departments in their work to serve their communities with many tools and resources, and helps strengthen health department infrastructure, workforce, and data modernization efforts to promote public health system transformation. To learn more about PHAB, visit phaboard.org.