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Denton County Public Health earns Project Public Health Ready reaccreditation
Summary
Denton County Public Health was recognized by the Commissioners Court for re‑earning Project Public Health Ready, a national preparedness recognition that required an 18‑month submission of plans and records and strengthens the county’s eligibility for state and federal preparedness funding.
Denton County Public Health was recognized Sept. 16 by the Denton County Commissioners Court after the department received reaccreditation under Project Public Health Ready, a preparedness recognition supported by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the CDC.
Project Public Health Ready is a voluntary, criteria‑based recognition for local public health preparedness. “Project Public Health Ready … is the national gold standard for local public health preparedness teams,” said Felicia Hopkins, division manager for preparedness and response at Denton County Public Health.
Court presenters said the accreditation cycle required roughly 18 months of work and submission of thousands of pages of plans and documentation. “Over the last 18 months, the preparedness team has submitted more than 3,000 pages of plans, annexes, standard operating guides, training records, meeting logs, exercise documentation,” Hopkins said. County staff also told the court Denton County is one of six health departments in Texas currently recognized by the program and one of four in the state to be recognized in the 2025 cycle. Presenters added the county is one of two Texas departments dually recognized by Project Public Health Ready and the National Public Health Accreditation Board.
County officials said the recognition indicates the department can plan for, respond to and recover from a range of emergencies, from severe weather to disease outbreaks. The court’s comments noted the recognition also helps the county compete for critical state and federal preparedness funding and strengthens public trust in local response capabilities.
Judge Eads thanked the public health team for the work and for community outreach during past emergencies. Commissioners and staff stood, and the court publicly acknowledged the preparedness, epidemiology and environmental health teams.
The court had no formal vote tied to the presentation; the accreditation was presented and acknowledged during the Sept. 16 meeting.
