The Cabell-Huntington Health Department achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).
CHHD is one of the first county health departments in West Virginia to reach this status. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.
What is the goal of public health accreditation?
The goal of accreditation is to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of state and local public health departments.
What are the benefits of accreditation?
Some of the many benefits of accreditation include:
- Increased credibility, accountability, and visibility in our community, in West Virginia, and in our nation.
- Valuable, measureable feedback to continuously improve the quality of work.
- Evidence that public dollars are being spent on effective and useful programs.
- Enhanced services that lead to healthier people and a healthier community (improved health outcomes).
- Recognition of excellence.
- Possible funding advantages.
How many health departments in the U.S. are accredited?
- Hundreds of health departments are preparing to seek national accreditation through the program, which launched in September 2011 after more than a decade in development. So far only 243 out of the more than 3,000 local health departments in the U.S. have been granted accreditation status.
How will accreditation benefit the citizens of Cabell County?
Accreditation, based on the Ten Essential Public Health Standards, will drive Cabell-Huntington Health Department to continuously improve the quality of the services delivered in the community. Achieving accreditation means that the health department will have met national standards for high quality public health services, leadership and accountability. With accreditation, we will be able to show the citizens of Cabell County that the health department is a top performer and that we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible.
What are the Ten Essential Public Health Services?
- Understand health issues at the state and community levels
(Or: “what’s going on in our state/community? Do we know how healthy we are?”)
- Identify and respond to health problems or threats
(Or “Are we ready to respond to health problems or threats? How quickly do we find out about
problems? How effective is our response?”)
- Keep people informed about health issues and healthy choices.
(Or “How well do we keep all people and segments of our State informed about health issues?”)
- Engage people and organizations in health issues.
(Or “How well do we really get people and organizations engaged in health issues?”)
- Plan and implement sound health policies.
(Or “What policies promote health in our State? How effective are we in planning and in setting
health policies?”)
- Enforce public health laws and regulations.
(Or “When we enforce health regulations are we up-to-date, technically competent, fair and
effective?”)
- Make sure people receive the medical care they need.
(Or “Are people receiving the medical care they need?”)
- Maintain a competent public health and medical workforce.
(Or “Do we have a competent public health staff? How can we be sure that our staff stays
current?”)
- Evaluate and improve programs.
(Or “Are we doing any good? Are we doing things right? Are we doing the right things?”)
- Support innovation and identify and use best practices.
(Or “Are we discovering and using new ways to get the job done?”)
