Now in Effect: The Refreshed Standards & Measures (2026)

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PHAB is pleased to announce the release of the Refreshed Standards & Measures (2026)—a significant step forward in strengthening and modernizing the public health Accreditation process.

Building on a strong foundation, this refresh reflects a focused effort to enhance clarity, increase flexibility, and reduce documentation burden, while maintaining the rigor and integrity of Accreditation.

Access the informational webinar recording and resources.

What’s New in the Refreshed Standards & Measures (2026)

The updated Standards & Measures introduce several key improvements designed to better support health departments in demonstrating quality and impact:

  • Greater flexibility: Health departments now have expanded options to demonstrate conformity through alternative assessment options, such as demonstrations, site visit conversations, and focused narratives during Annual Report years. Additionally, prescriptiveness was intentionally reduced to provide greater flexibility in how health departments demonstrate the requirements.
  • Clearer expectations: Refined and increased plain language throughout the measures helps ensure consistency and shared understanding.
  • Reduced burden: Streamlined documentation requirements allow departments to focus on meaningful work rather than unnecessary paperwork.
  • Improved alignment: Stronger connections between Initial Accreditation and Reaccreditation measures support continuity across the Accreditation lifecycle.

These updates were shaped by extensive feedback from the public health field, including insights through listening sessions, public vetting, and an analysis of Accreditation data. Notably, the vetting process drew input from hundreds of practitioners and demonstrated strong support for the proposed changes, enabling targeted refinements that improved clarity, flexibility, and usability.

Advancing Accreditation: A More Flexible Approach

Alongside the updated Standards & Measures, PHAB is advancing a reimagined approach to maintaining Accreditation.

Informed by pilot efforts, this approach introduces a more flexible, multi-year structure that:

  • Allows for distribution of Reaccreditation workload across annual reporting periods,
  • Encourages ongoing engagement through strategic touchpoints with PHAB, and
  • Incorporates enhanced site visit experiences that increase understanding of community context and peer learning through the option of adding an “Insight to Action” session promoting continuous improvement.

This evolution allows health departments to apply improvements in real time—without waiting for a new Accreditation cycle.

Strengthening Public Health Through Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

The Refreshed Standards & Measures (2026) reflect PHAB’s ongoing commitment to CQI. By aligning expectations with current practice and creating more meaningful ways to demonstrate conformity, the updated framework supports health departments in:

  • Demonstrating accountability and value,
  • Maintaining conformity with national standards, and
  • Advancing impactful, data-informed improvements.

Explore the Refreshed Standards & Measures

Health departments and partners are encouraged to explore the Refreshed Standards & Measures (2026) and the accompanying resources now available. Webinar recordings and crosswalks are also available to support health departments in transitioning between versions.

Please stay tuned for additional updates via PHAB’s website, newsletter, and social channels.

If you have any questions, please contact askPHAB@phaboard.org.

About the Author

Emily Frantz
Emily Frantz, MPH, serves as a senior specialist within PHAB’s Accreditation & Recognition Team Prior to joining PHAB, she managed a consulting firm, ALPHA, LLC, designed to support local health departments pursuing accreditation in multiple states. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from Emory University with emphasis in Health Policy & Management and Bachelor of Communication Science from Michigan State University.
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