By Tim Mastro

DOVER — The Delaware Division of Public Health has been reaccredited by the national Public Health Accreditation Board, the division announced Wednesday. 

The board formally issued Delaware’s continued accreditation status on Aug. 18. In maintaining its accreditation status for another five years, the public health department has demonstrated that it meets PHAB’s quality standards and measures.

Delaware is among only 22% of the accredited public health departments in the country to earn continued accreditation this year. 

“After two and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Delawareans have learned how important it is to have a strong public health response in our state,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “I am grateful to the Public Health Accreditation Board for this reaccreditation, but I am especially grateful to the employees of the Division of Public Health for the work they have done and continue to do during the pandemic, and the work they do every day to evolve, improve and advance the health of Delawareans. This is another way we are building a healthier and stronger Delaware.”

PHAB’s 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.

“I am very pleased that DPH has been re-accredited as a Nationally Accredited Public Health agency,” said DPH Interim Director Dr. Rick Hong. “During the August 2022 site visit, the PHAB accreditation team particularly praised our policies, procedures, and programs; comprehensive Performance Management system; and efforts to create a culture of evidence-based public health practice and partnership building. Much of the credit goes to the high-performance of our DPH employees. By improving our services and performance, we can be sure we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible.”

The CDC identifies accreditation as a critical strategy for strengthening public health infrastructure. To acquire continued accreditation, the division had to demonstrate how it implements public health services in Delaware, through policies, procedures, practices, programs, and community partnerships. the division demonstrated success in each of these areas while successfully managing the state’s response to a worldwide pandemic.