Accreditation

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department received national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board on May 13, 2015. Accreditation will better protect and improve the health of Lawrence and Douglas County residents by advancing the quality and performance of the public health department that serves them.

Becoming Accredited
The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department is following national standards that require provision and documentation of what the agency offers in services and activities. Program performance measures are already in place and are reviewed by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Board each quarter. Learn more about the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).

A Case for Accreditation
Public health accreditation standards have a sharp focus on 2 ideals:
  • Health Departments should deliver the 10 essential public health services to their communities.
  • Health Departments should foster a culture of quality improvement within their organizations.
The concept of accreditation is not new. Many industries have a system of accreditation, developed primarily as a way to communicate to the public that you can trust certain quality standards have been met.

Benefits
The benefits of accreditation include:
  • A means for identifying performance improvement opportunities
  • Enhanced capacity to manage our resources
  • Opportunities to develop leadership at all levels
  • Stronger relationships with members of our community