Tooele County Health Department Becomes the First Health Department in Utah to Receive National Accreditation

MEDIA RELEASE

Public Health Accreditation Board designation recognizes high-performing health departments

Tooele, Utah – March 19, 2014 –The Tooele County Health Department announced today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of the nation’s Tribal, state, local and territorial public health departments. The Tooele County Health Department is one of the first of hundreds of health departments across the country that are preparing to seek accreditation through PHAB, the independent organization that administers the national public health accreditation program and is the first public health department in the state of Utah to receive this recognition.

”We are pleased and excited to be one of the first health departments in the nation and the first health department in the state of Utah to achieve national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement,” said Myron Bateman, Health Officer of the Tooele County Health Department .”The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation, the Tooele County Health Department is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work.”

The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.  To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.

”Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that the Tooele County Health Department has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health,” Bateman said. ”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.”

Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. In cities, towns, and states across the nation, health departments provide a range of 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 Tooele County Health Department is one of the first of many health departments that we look forward to being able to recognize as a high-performing public health department,” said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN. ”The peer-review process provides valuable feedback to inform health departments of their strengths and areas for improvement, so that they can better protect and promote the health of the people they serve in their communities.”

The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10-year period by hundreds of public health practitioners working at the national, tribal, state, and local levels. Since the program’s launch in September 2011, nearly 130 health departments have applied to PHAB for accreditation, and hundreds of public health practitioners from across the nation have been trained to serve as volunteer peer site visitors for the program.

”Achieving accreditation indicates that the Tooele County Health Department  is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the community by striving to continuously improve the quality of the services it delivers,” said PHAB Board of Directors Chair Carol Moehrle, MD. ”Accreditation also promotes consistency in meeting standards. With an ever-increasing number of health departments now applying for and becoming accredited, you will be able to expect to receive the same quality of public health services wherever you go in the United States.”

About the Public Health Accreditation Board

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), established in 2007, 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 accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, Tribal, state, and local levels. Learn more about PHAB or sign up for the PHAB e-newsletter by visiting www.phaboard.org.

###

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Myron Bateman please call or email Linda Reid at (435) 277-2460 or lreid@tooelehealth.org

MEDIA RELEASE- Tooele County Health Department Achieves National Accreditation 2014