Public Health Accreditation

Portage County Combined General Health District awarded National Public Health Accreditation: 

On June 11, 2019, the Portage County Combined General Health District was awarded National Public Health Accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board located in Alexandria, Virginia. This milestone accomplishment signifies to Portage County residents that they are being served by a health district that has met rigorous nationally recognized, performance-focused, and evidence-based standards for public health.  Accreditation has strengthened the Agency's continuous commitment towards meeting the 10 Essential Services of Public Health including quality improvement, workforce development, strategic planning, and performance management.

What is public health accreditation?

The goal of the public health accreditation is to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of public health departments.

Public health accreditation measures a health district’s performance against a set of nationally recognized, practice-focused and evidence-based standards. It focuses on the continual development, revision, and distribution of public health standards. PHAB-Public Health Accreditation Board, a nationally recognized entity, guides health departments through the process of accreditation and awards the achievement of accreditation.

How does accreditation affect Portage County?

The Ohio Department of Health has by rule, established a requirement that by year 2020, all local public health agencies must achieve the National Public Health Accreditation Board standards.

The accreditation of your local health district benefits the community by…

  • Encouraging improved communication and relationships with partners.

  • Assuring that your health district is providing the highest quality services.

  • Requiring even better transparency and accountability.

  • Prioritizing interventions and initiatives based on each community’s need, as shown by data collected in the Community Health Assessment.

  • National Public Health Accreditation Board Website: http://www.phaboard.org/

Annual Reports to PHAB