SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane Regional Health
District (SRHD) 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.
"More than anything this
accreditation is a testament to health district employees and the work they do
each day to improve and protect the health of our community," said Dr. Joel
McCullough, SRHD health officer. "The accreditation process validates the
responsiveness of our staff and programs in meeting the needs of residents. With
accreditation, we're demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to
the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we
work."
Out of 130 health departments across
the country seeking accreditation, SRHD is one of only eleven that earned
first-ever accreditation through PHAB, the independent organization that
administers the national public health accreditation program.
The program is jointly supported by
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation. These organizations worked to set 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.
Public health is an essential set of
services guaranteed to all citizens. It is a network of local, state and
national professionals working together for a safer and healthier community.
From restaurant inspections and drinking water safety, to health education,
immunizations, and disease control and prevention, Spokane Regional Health
District provides over 20 different programs and services to individuals,
families and organizations across Spokane County. Despite an unstable funding
environment year after year at the local, state and federal level, the health
district still employs over 200 employees dedicated to bettering the lives of
Spokane's residents.
"Spokane Regional Health District 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."
More information can be found
at www.srhd.org. SRHD's
Web site offers comprehensive, updated information about Spokane Regional Health
District and its triumphs in making Spokane a safer and healthier community.
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