Site visit team recommends conditional accreditation for Scotland County HHS; department given two years for improvement

HHS Director Amanda Holland told the Scotland County Board of Health on April 6 that a March 5 site visit and the March 19 report from the site team recommended Conditional Accreditation for the county health department.

Holland said the Site Visit Team designated 114 of 147 measures as “Met,” citing policy development as a core strength and noting that assessment, assurance, facilities and administrative services, and governance were among the core functions meeting standards. The Accreditation Board is scheduled to meet on May 1 to finalize the finding; if the conditional finding is adopted, Scotland County will have two years from that date to complete a Quality Improvement (QI) Plan.

To address unmet items, Holland outlined a proactive approach: seek guidance from the Accreditation Administrator, maintain a Quality Improvement Task Tracker that identifies each area for improvement and assigns lead and support staff, and hold monthly status meetings with possible additional sessions as needed. Holland said the county will emphasize collective responsibility and accountability—two areas the site team identified as barriers to meeting all measures.

The recommendation of conditional accreditation does not become final until the Accreditation Board meets May 1. Holland told the board the department would pursue scheduled follow-up steps and report progress to the Board of Health.

The Board did not take a formal vote on accreditation at the meeting; the next BOH meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2026.