Muskegon County Public Health wins Cycle 8 state accreditation; MDHHS highlights local programs

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services presented a local public health accreditation report to the Muskegon County Human Services Committee on May 13, recognizing Muskegon County Public Health for successfully completing Cycle 8 of the state accreditation process.

"I'm very grateful to Kathy and to her team for having me out," said Laura Dela Rempellier, director of the Division of Local Health Services at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, who presented the accreditation findings. She told the committee that the accreditation cycle, which normally occurs every three years, resumed after a COVID-era pause and is intended to test compliance and the ability of local health departments to deliver consistent services across multiple programs.

MDHHS highlighted several specific accomplishments by Muskegon County: timely communicable-disease reporting and outreach to child-care and health-care providers; partnership arrangements with Walgreens and CVS that allow the county to distribute vouchers for free influenza vaccinations to residents who cannot pay; coordinated hearing and vision screening efforts with schools; and an active Children's Special Health Care Program that pursues community outreach, radio and virtual presentations, and a "sim shop" workshop for siblings of children with special needs.

"You have a wonderful health department here in Muskegon County," Rempellier said, praising staff for work during outbreaks and complex incidents cited in the report, including workplace exposure notifications, a multi‑farm influenza response, and a tuberculosis incident at an animal research facility that required testing and treatment of exposed staff.

Kathy Moore, director of Muskegon County Public Health, accepted the recognition on behalf of the department and publicly thanked staff and partner agencies. "This significant accomplishment reflects the unwavering dedication of our staff towards quality, compliance, and continuous improvement," Moore said, and she named several staff members who contributed to the achievement.

Moore also acknowledged cross-department and community partnerships — including Help West, county courts, the sheriff’s office, prosecutor, clerk, administration, finance, human resources, United Way, Hackley Community Care, Access Health, MSU Extension, school districts, The Health Project, and Trinity Health — as essential to the department’s work.

The presentation closes with the county receiving formal congratulations from the state reviewer and the committee moving on to its agenda items. No formal action was required to accept the accreditation report, and the department will continue program work under the standards outlined by MDHHS.