Worcester One of First Maryland Health Departments to Receive PHAB Accreditation

Snow Hill, MD – Worcester County Health Department (WCHD) announced today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Worcester, along with Frederick County, is one of the first two health departments to be accredited in Maryland.

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. WCHD is one of only 60 health departments to receive PHAB accreditation nationally.

“We are pleased and excited to be recognized for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement,” said Health Officer Debbie Goeller. “The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation, Worcester County Health Department is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work.”

The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets 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.

For more information, contact Travis Brown, Health Department public information officer, at 410-632-1100 ext. 1130.