LHD Accreditation

Accreditation for Local Health Departments

The Fairbanks School of Public Health offers local health departments technical assistance in their journey to becoming nationally accredited. For more information about accreditation, please contact Dr. Joan Duwve, jduwve@iu.edu, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice. 

Accreditation Success Story

Though it ranks as the 15th-smallest county in Indiana, Rush County accomplished something big: Its health department became the first in Indiana to achieve national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board.

Accreditation News Release

The Fairbanks School of Public Health was extremely helpful to us in countless ways. 

Dr. Dorothy Boersma, Former Rush County Health Officer

Seven Steps of Accreditation

The PHAB accreditation process consists of seven steps: Pre-application, Application, Document Selection and Submission, Site Visit, Accreditation Decision, Reports, Reaccreditation.

Accreditation Materials

PHAB offers an array of materials to assist health departments throughout the accreditation process.

Benefits of Accreditation

According to the Public Health Accreditation Board the benefits of accreditation include:

  • Better identify strengths and weaknesses of the health department;
  • Document capacity of the health department to deliver the core functions and ten Essential Public Health Services;
  • Stimulate transparency;
  • Improve management processes used by the health department;
  • Stimulate quality improvement and performance management;
  • Improve accountability to community, stakeholders, and policy makers;
  • Improve communication with the governing entity/board of health; and
  • Improve competitiveness for funding.