ODH receives national accreditation

The Ohio Department of Health announced last week that it has been accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, a distinction that will be required of all local health jurisdictions in Ohio by 2020 (Source: “Ohio Department of Health accredited in national program,” Associated Press via [Willoughby] News Herald, Nov. 22, 2015).

According to an ODH press release, the agency is one of 11 state health departments accredited through the PHAB. The board is intended to promote quality in health departments and is jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

The other PHAB-accredited state health departments are in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. In Ohio, eight local health jurisdictions have earned PHAB accreditation – Columbus Public Health, Delaware General Health District, Erie County Health Department, Huron County General Health District, Licking County Health Department, Mahoning County District Board of Health, Medina County Health Department, and Summit County Combined General Health District.

ODH has announced that all local health departments must be PHAB accredited by July 1, 2020.