Richmond, Virginia – The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has been awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Established in 2007, PHAB is the nonprofit organization that administers the national accreditation program, which aims to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation.
“Accreditation by PHAB means that VDH meets the standards for a high-performing public health department and that we are committed to continuous learning and quality improvement in our operations and programs,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. “The application process was rigorous and thorough, and helped us identify best practices, which are already being incorporated.
“We hope this announcement, coming as it does in the midst of our ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reassure our community, our partner organizations, our funders and our elected officials that the services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. By continuing to improve our services and performance, we can be sure we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible.”
The voluntary national 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.
“The value of becoming nationally accredited through PHAB extends far beyond the interior walls of the health department,” said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, FAAN. “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.”
VDH began pursuing accreditation in 2016. The accreditation is for five years, and after that time, VDH must apply for re-accreditation. VDH is committed to accountability, transparency, quality improvement, performance management, and the capacity to deliver the Ten Essential Public Health Services.
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.
About the Virginia Department of Health
The Virginia Department of Health works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Virginia. Learn more about VDH at www.vdh.virginia.gov.
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. Learn more about PHAB and accreditation at www.phaboard.org, and by signing up for the PHAB e-newsletter.