The Sidney-Shelby County Health Department holds its national accreditation plaque from the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).
SIDNEY — The Sidney-Shelby County Health Department (SSCHD) has been awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The accreditation program works to improve the quality, programs, and performance of the nation’s health departments. In order to become accredited, health departments must show they meet or exceed a set of standards by going through a self-assessment and a peer review.
“We have been working on accreditation since 2015 and are proud to be recognized by PHAB for our hard work and dedication to improving the health of our community,” said Health Commissioner Erica Lentz. “This process and its recent successful outcome is a result of hard work and perseverance by the entire SSCHD staff. We hope this announcement will reassure our community, partners, funders and our elected officials that the services we provide are as responsive as possible and are meeting the foundational needs of our community.”
The national accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. Standards emphasize Foundational Capabilities and are aligned with the 10 Essential Public Health Services. 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.
“The value of becoming nationally accredited through PHAB extends far beyond the 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.”
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.
