9/24/2009 - City of Portland Public Health Division Selected to Test
National Accreditation Program
Test Will Help to Shape the Future of Public Health

Portland, Maine – The City of Portland Public Health Division announced today it was selected by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) to participate in a test of the new national voluntary public health accreditation program. As one of 30 public health agencies selected from more than 145 applicants, the Public Health Division will work through the accreditation process and will provide valuable feedback that will inform the voluntary accreditation program’s national launch in 2011. The Public Health Division will receive technical assistance for accreditation and quality improvement, funding to support quality improvement projects, and funding and to cover the costs of providing detailed feedback to PHAB, The beta test will begin in the fall of 2009 and conclude at the end of 2010. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will provide technical assistance to the Public Health Division.

“We are pleased to be part of this ground breaking program,” said Public Health Division Director Julie Sullivan, MPH, MBA. “We recognize that this is a unique opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our services and also showcase the high quality programs and services provided by the Public Health Division. We are proud to have a hand in shaping the national accreditation program and advancing the quality of public health.”

Sullivan continues, “This initiative marries nicely with other quality improvement activities the Public Health Division has already embarked upon, and we look forward to working with NACCHO and PHAB. This process will ultimately help us better promote and protect the health of everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Portland.”

While there are standards for hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies and even daycare centers, there has not previously been a nationally recognized set of standards for public health departments despite the critical role they play in preserving and promoting the health of communities and residents. The goal of public health accreditation is to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of all health departments in the country.

“The launch of the test is a critical step that moves us closer to a national voluntary accreditation program that is practical and promotes continuous quality improvement in all health departments,” said PHAB President and Chief Executive Officer Kaye Bender, RN, PhD, FAAN. “The overwhelming number of applications we received from health departments that wanted to be test sites signals that public health departments recognize the need for national standards and understand their value. With accreditation status, public health departments will be able to demonstrate increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and other stakeholders.”

“Local health departments protect people and keep them healthy,” said Robert M. Pestronk, Executive Director, National Association of County and City Health Officials. “Our Association is pleased to partner with PHAB, local health department test sites, and other national organizations to establish a national accreditation program that will help shape the practice of public health in America. A national accreditation program is one important step towards continuously improving local health department public health practice that protects people and creates the conditions in which health is the natural outcome.”

In addition to NACCHO, several other leading national public health organizations have partnered with PHAB to support the test, including the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Association of Local Board of Health (NALBOH), the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

In order to ensure that they represent a broad cross-section of the U.S. population, the health departments selected to be part of the test vary in size, structure, population served, governance, geographic region, and degree of preparedness for accreditation. For a complete listing of the 30 test sites, please visit http://www.phaboard.org.

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The mission of the City of Portland Public Health Division is to improve the health of individuals, families, and the community through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats.

PHAB is dedicated to raising the standard for public health. With support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, PHAB is working with leading public health experts from the field to develop a voluntary national accreditation program that will help public health departments assess their current capacity and guide them to become even better providers of quality service, thus promoting a healthier public.