EL DORADO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH AWARDED
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACCREDITATION BOARD
(Placerville, CA) — El Dorado County Public Health is pleased to announce that it has been awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The accreditation through PHAB demonstrates El Dorado County Public Health's commitment to excellence in serving the community.
"Achieving national accreditation from PHAB is important because it confirms that we are meeting important organizational standards, operating effectively and promoting continuous quality improvement," said Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director of Public Health. "We hope this announcement, coming in the midst of our continuing public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, assures our community, partner organizations, funders and elected officials that our services are responsive to the needs of the community. By continuing to improve our services and performance, we can ensure that we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible."
Established in 2007, PHAB is the nonprofit organization that administers the national accreditation program, which is aimed at advancing public health practice through performance improvement, strong infrastructure and innovation. The accreditation program is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. More than 80 percent of the U.S. population now reap the benefits of being served by a health department that has undergone PHAB's rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets a set of quality standards and measures.
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. 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.
"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."
About the El Dorado County Public Health Division
The El Dorado County Public Health Division, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in El Dorado County. El Dorado County Public Health is a division of the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency. Learn more about the Public Health Division at https://www.edcgov.us/PublicHealth.
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