The Public Health Accreditation Board [PHAB] oversees a national, voluntary accreditation program for state, local, territorial and tribal public health departments. The goal of accreditation is to improve and protect the health of every community by advancing the quality and performance of public health departments.
The Oregon Public Health Division was accredited in March 2016.
Oregon saw its first accredited local health department, Marion County Public Health Services, in March 2014, with Deschutes County Health Services following in June 2014. As of November 2018, there are now 13 accredited public health departments in Oregon.
The accreditation process allows Oregon's health departments to measure our performance against a set of national standards, celebrate and share our successes, and identify opportunities for improvement. In 2018, Oregon was chosen as one of three states having the highest rate of Accredited Local Public Health Authorities to host a workshop on reaccreditation in coordination with PHAB and the Conference of Local Health Officials [CLHO].
These resources are provided to assist state, local and tribal public health professionals in learning about accreditation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is involved in becoming accredited?To apply for accreditation, PHD must complete three prerequisites: a statewide community health assessment, a statewide health improvement plan, and an agency-level strategic plan. Additionally, PHD will need to provide documentation on how we meet the standards and measures listed in PHAB's 12 domains.
What is the statewide community health assessment [CHA]?The State Health Profile and Public Health System Assessment, or CHA, helps us understand the health status of our population. By looking at the data, we can see where our state is doing well, and where we need to improve. Having consistent data allows us to effectively set health improvement priorities and identify communities, groups and resources that can help us move towards a healthier future.
What is the state health improvement plan [SHIP]?
Oregon’s state health improvement plan is designed to bring individuals, communities and organizations together in order to improve the health of all people in the state. It addresses the leading causes of death, disease, and injury in Oregon through evidence-based and measurable strategies. The plan is also designed to reduce avoidable differences in health experienced by many diverse communities in Oregon.
What is the agency strategic plan?
PHD’s strategic plan describes our efforts to promote health and prevent the leading causes of death, disease and injury in Oregon. The plan identifies the places in which our Division will come together to plan, resource and implement initiatives in addition to the great services our programs already provide to Oregonians. By pooling our talent in these key areas, we believe we will make a measurable impact in our vision of lifelong health for all people in Oregon.
Why does PHD want to be accredited?
Accreditation is a seal of approval by an objective, outside body. It is proof that an organization has adopted and consistently meets a set of stringent standards to show it is delivering the best-quality service possible. In the case of public health accreditation, it increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the public health system infrastructure, which is critical to ensuring the health and well-being of Oregonians. Quality improvement and performance management are principles and practices used to promote operational excellence and strengthen the public health system.
My county health department is going through accreditation. Is this is the same thing the state is doing?
Yes, it is the same process as outlined by the Public Health Accreditation Board. Local health department pre-requisites for accreditation are accessible through the Oregon Conference of Local Health Officials [CLHO] website. The goal of accreditation is to improve and protect the health of every community by advancing the quality and performance of public health departments at the tribal, local and state level.
NCLHD Accreditation Team is preparing a series of communication tools to help Agency Accreditation Staff inform their colleagues and partners about the accreditation process and its value.
The first chapter of the series focuses on accreditation’s value for the local health department itself. Posters, email templates, and icons are available. These materials help communicate the continuous and collective accreditation process and its benefits. View handout.
Learn more about these materials by watching the June 2021 webinar recording.
Public health partnership builds a launchpad for thriving communities. Local health departments and their partnerships launch and steer communities towards goals – whether those goals address quality improvement, health equity, social determinants of health, or other community priorities.
Local health department accreditation helps ensure that our public health launches are successful. Accreditation provides a structure to assess, maintain, and advance local health departments so they can effectively work towards their goals.
To help communicate the accreditation process, the team has prepared materials that align with four phases of accreditation: