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Preliminary assessment recommends phased pursuit of Public Health Accreditation Board recognition
Summary
A county readiness assessment found Delaware County has three of eight major accreditation plans complete, and recommended phased work and a coordinator role to pursue Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation.
A preliminary readiness assessment presented to the Board of Health recommended that Delaware County Health Department pursue accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) on a phased timetable that aligns with plan completion and staffing capacity. The presentation outlined PHAB’s standards, costs and required documentation and recommended developing an internal accreditation committee and a designated accreditation coordinator.
The assessment listed eight major plans PHAB expects as core documentation: community health assessment (completed in 2024), community health improvement plan (completed in 2025), strategic plan (completed), workforce-development plan (underway), emergency operations plan (underway but needs alignment), organizational branding strategy (near completion), quality-improvement plan (underway), and a performance-management system (not yet started). The presenter recommended completing required plans and aligning documentation with PHAB measures before applying and noted the PHAB look-back window for some measures spans two to five years.
Cost estimates in the assessment included a PHAB readiness/training fee of $1,299 and an annual accreditation-services fee of $11,200 for jurisdictions sized like Delaware County (population category 500,000–1,000,000). The presenter estimated about $34,399 in program fees over three years (PHAB fee schedule), but noted these fees support PHAB operations, peer reviewers and site visits. The assessment emphasized that accreditation is primarily a continuous-quality-improvement framework rather than an endpoint and that pursuing accreditation can strengthen infrastructure and grant competitiveness.
Board members asked about staffing and funding for an accreditation coordinator. Staff said a position reserve existed in a public-health infrastructure grant (FIG) but hiring had been constrained by budgetary pressures and a county hiring freeze. Presenters suggested pairing accreditation coordination with existing quality-improvement responsibilities to gain efficiencies.
No board vote was taken; the assessment was provided for the board’s consideration and next steps if the board elects to pursue formal PHAB application.
