Macomb County Health Department awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board

Accreditation through PHAB Demonstrates Macomb County Health Department’s commitment to excellence in serving the community

The Macomb County Health Department today announced it has been awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Established in 2007, PHAB is the nonprofit organization that administers the national accreditation program, which aims to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure and innovation.

“We are so pleased to be recognized by PHAB for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement," said Andrew Cox, director/health officer of the Macomb County Health Department. “We hope this announcement, coming as it does in the midst of our ongoing public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reassure our community, our partner organizations and our elected officials that the services we provide are as effective and responsive to the needs of our community. By continuing to improve our services and performance, we can be confident that we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible.”

The national accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. More than 80 percent of the U.S. population now reap the benefits of being served by a health department that has undergone PHAB’s rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets a set of quality standards and measures.

"The Macomb County Health Department has shown time and time again that they are an incredible resource for this community - especially throughout this last year," said County Executive Mark Hackel. "From creating drive-through COVID-19 testing sites, to developing and managing mass vaccination clinics, this team has faced every challenge head on and delivered innovative solutions to meet the needs of our residents. I am so proud to see them receive this public health accreditation, and to have them be recognized on the national level for the important work they do - which is ensuring the health, safety and wellness of our county."

"On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I would like to congratulate the health department with this highly recognized national accreditation award," said Don Brown, Board Chair of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners. "We remain committed to supporting public health on behalf of Macomb County residents."

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. Across the nation, health departments provide services aimed at 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 value of becoming nationally accredited through PHAB extends far beyond the interior walls of the health department," said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, FAAN. "People living and working in communities served by these health departments can be assured that their health department is strong and has the capacity to protect and promote their health. Just going through the accreditation process itself helps health departments pinpoint the areas that are critical to improving the work they do for their communities."

Currently, the Macomb County Health Department is the state of Michigan’s largest health department to achieve PHAB accreditation, and is one of nine in Michigan to achieve this distinction.

About the Macomb County Health Department
In partnership with the communities we serve, the mission of the Macomb County Health Department is to protect the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Macomb County. We pursue our mission by providing a wide range of programs and services that are delivered by Environmental Health Services, Family Health Services, Community Health Planning and Promotion, and our Disease Prevention and Control program. For more information, visit: https://health.macombgov.org/Health-Home.