PHAB Stories of Impact: Amplifying Voices of Accredited Health Departments

Public health accreditation is important in ensuring that health departments meet certain standards to effectively protect and promote the health of their communities. The Public Health Accreditation Board has been working since its inception in 2011 to advance the quality and performance of public health departments across the country. This further expanded into areas of innovation through PHAB’s Center for Innovation, ensuring health departments not only have the infrastructure needed to serve their communities, but also fostering and sharing innovative practices to promote systemwide transformation.

Last year, PHAB released its Stories of Impact series to shed light on the transformative journeys of accredited health departments and their work to strengthen infrastructure, shift organizational culture, and positively impact the communities they serve. The series highlights the real-world outcomes and changes brought about through the PHAB accreditation process and other PHAB tools and resources, including creating a culture of continuous improvement, strengthening community partnerships, and implementing transformation strategies.

Creating a Culture of Quality Improvement

Accredited health departments share their commitment to learning from experiences, adapting to evolving challenges, and embracing a culture of continuous quality and performance improvement and excellence. The St. Louis County Health Department developed the Quality Champion Program and Quality Council to integrate performance improvement into their everyday work. Their Story of Impact not only highlights the impact of these initiatives, but also how PHAB accreditation supports their efforts to continuously improve their service to the community. Read their story >

Building and Strengthening Community Partnerships

Several stories within the series underscore the importance of community partnerships and collaboration in addressing health disparities, promoting health equity, and ensuring that public health efforts are tailored to the unique needs of diverse populations. St. Mary’s County set up its Health Hub during the COVID-19 pandemic to dismantle barriers that often hinder access to critical health services. With both a physical location and a virtual option in partnership with WellCheck, the Health Hub served as a blueprint for a collaborative approach to public health that leverages the strengths of both public and private sectors. Read their story >

Implementing Transformation Strategies

Public health transformation requires sustaining what is working, building on what can be improved, and reimagining what could be so that all people and communities can thrive. Health departments are working toward systemwide transformation using various strategies, including the Foundational Public Health Services framework, PHAB accreditation, and Public Health 3.0. As a member of PHAB’s 21^st Century Learning Community and a PHAB accredited health department, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services adopted the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) framework as a roadmap for building infrastructure, delivering and prioritizing public health services, and creating shared language to align goals. Read their story >

PHAB’s Stories of Impact highlight the transformative power of accreditation and innovation in the public health field. The series is not just a celebration of past successes but also a call to action for health departments seeking to strengthen infrastructure and create a culture of continuous improvement. By amplifying the voices of accredited health departments and their communities, the series can inspire other health departments and public health systems to strive for excellence, embrace innovation, and work collaboratively to build healthier, more resilient and equitable communities.

Read PHAB Stories of Impact to stay up to date on the work and outcomes of accredited health departments.

Janalle Goosby, MBA, is the Assistant Director of Communications and Public Affairs at PHAB. Prior to joining PHAB, Janalle held roles as a Communications Specialist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Health Communications Officer at the City of Milwaukee Health Department, managing internal, external and crisis communications. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from Alverno College and an undergraduate degree in Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Contact her at jgoosby@phaboard.org.

Jocelyn Feaster is a Program Assistant at the Public Health Accreditation Board. In this role, she provides administrative, logistical, and strategic communications support to the Communications and Public Affairs team. Prior to joining PHAB, Jocelyn held roles as a Legal Assistant at Sivaraman Immigration Law, assisting paralegals and attorneys in facilitating the workload and efficiency of the legal team, and as a Field Organizer for the U.S. Senate Cheri Beasley campaign, recruiting and training volunteers in Durham County. She holds an undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in population health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.