Hickory – Catawba County Public Health has been reaccredited with honors for the second time in a row by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board.
North Carolina is the first state in the country to mandate accreditation for all its local health departments. The purpose of the accreditation program is to assure that each local health department has a baseline level of capacity and services to allow them to serve their community. Accreditation is similar to a quality improvement process, as it assures that agencies are continually assessing the needs of their communities and striving to provide the highest quality service, all while meeting consistent standards.
Catawba County is one of six agencies in the state that received reaccreditation with honors this year.
The process of accreditation includes three major components – a self-assessment completed by Catawba County Public Health, a site visit by a multidisciplinary team of peers to review performance standards, and determination of accreditation status by an independent Accreditation Board comprised of state and local public health officials, Board of Health members, County Commissioners, and at-large members.
“Accreditation is a team effort that involves all staff throughout Public Health working together to provide the highest level of service to our county’s residents. Receiving reaccreditation with honors recognition twice in a row is a testament to the longstanding dedication and hard work each of our staff displays every day and the impact it has on our community’s health,” said Catawba County Health Director Jennifer McCracken. “What makes this even more special is knowing that we not only provided a high level of service, but we also excelled, continuing to provide services while responding to a global pandemic.”
Catawba County Public Health promotes and protects the health of all Catawba County residents through preventive services, innovative partnerships, and community health improvement initiatives. For more information, please call (828) 695-5800 or visit www.catawbacountync.gov/phealth.
