Wicomico Health Accreditation

Salisbury, MD — March 15, 2016 — The Wicomico County Health Department announced today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Wicomico Health is one of fewer than 200 health departments that have thus far achieved accreditation through PHAB, the non-profit organization launched in 2011 that administers the national public health accreditation program. 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 nearly 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. “We are pleased and
excited to be recognized for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement,” said Lori Brewster, Health Officer of the Wicomico County Health Department. “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, the Health Department is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work.”

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 departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. “The Wicomico County Health Department is honored to serve our community through a range of programs and services that address many concerns faced by county residents,” Brewster said. These include promoting
healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; ensuring access to safe food, water, clean air, and life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.

“The Wicomico County Health Department joins the growing ranks of accredited health departments in a strong commitment to their public health mission,” 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. Residents of a community served by a nationally accredited health department can be assured that their health department has demonstrated the capacity to protect and promote the health of
that community.”

“Achieving accreditation indicates that the Wicomico County Health Department is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the community by striving to continuously improve the quality of the services it delivers,” said Ray (Bud) Nicola, MD, MHSA, chair of PHAB’s Board of Directors and affiliate professor at the University Of Washington School Of Public Health in Seattle.

The mission of the Wicomico County Health Department is to maximize the health of citizens by providing access to opportunities that promote physical, behavioral, and environmental health through preventive, educational, assessment, clinical, monitoring, and regulatory programs. Brewster said, “Accreditation helps us
achieve our mission in the most effective way.”

About the Public Health Accreditation Board

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), established in 2007, was created to serve as the national public health accrediting body, and is jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The development of national public health accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, Tribal, state, and local levels. Learn more about PHAB or sign up for the PHAB e-newsletter by visiting www.phaboard.org.