BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - The Butte County Department of Public Health (BCPH) has achieved national re-accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), making them only the fourth local health department out of California’s 58 counties to achieve this accomplishment. In maintaining its accreditation status for another five years, BCPH has demonstrated that it meets quality standards and measures established by PHAB, ensuring the department’s effectiveness at improving the health of the residents of Butte County.

BCPH first received national accreditation on September 13, 2017, after undergoing a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process. At that time, they were one of only 10 local public health departments in the state to achieve accreditation.

The non-profit PHAB works to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation. PHAB’s accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.

“We are pleased to again be recognized by PHAB for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement," said Danette York, Director of BCPH. “Accreditation is completely voluntary for local health departments - this achievement should reassure our community that services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our residents and visitors.”

What Was Involved?

To achieve reaccreditation, BCPH successfully underwent the detailed development of narratives, reports, and policies to demonstrate compliance with PHAB’s 90 required measures – receiving a score of 100%. Additionally, BCPH received high marks from reviewers after a site visit on September 21st.

Why Is This Important?

Launched in 2011, national public health accreditation is a process in the field of public health for State, tribal, local, and territorial jurisdictions. It was developed out of recognition for the importance of a strong infrastructure to address public health challenges that the nation faces. These challenges include but are not limited to combating the epidemic of chronic disease; protecting the public from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; responding to emergencies, in a time when terrorism and climate change are additional factors; and advancing health equity across a diverse population.

Often called the “backbone” of the public health system, public health departments are on the front lines of communities’ efforts to protect and promote health and prevent disease and injury. PHAB-accredited health departments demonstrate great leadership by placing their work for peer review and using the feedback obtained to improve the services they provide to their communities.