Lake County’s Health Department and Community Health Center (LCHD/CHC) recently received national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), which protects public health at every level of government nationwide.
“We are pleased and excited to achieve national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement,” Tony Beltran, LCHD/CHC’s executive director, said. “The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. Thank you to our staff, our Board of Health, our County Board and our community partners for making this happen.”
Benefits of the status include public credibility, positioning for funding and support from elected officials. PHAB, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets rigorous standards for the nation’s 3,000-plus public health departments.
Lake County’s own health department was founded in 1956; PHAB came into being in 2007 to serve as a national public health accrediting body. To receive accreditation, a health department undergoes a complex assessment to ensure it meets or exceeds the established set of quality standards and measures.
Health departments encourage healthful behaviors and choices to curb disease and injury as well as monitor access to clean air and water, safe food and preventative immunizations.
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