Coos Health & Wellness Awarded National Accreditation Through the Public Health Accreditation Board, June 21

PHAB – Accredited Health Departments Demonstrate the Capacity to Serve their Communities Well – Coos Bay, OR — June 18, 2019 — Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division announced today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing and ultimately transforming the quality and performance of the nation’s state, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments. Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division is one of 268 health departments that have thus far achieved accreditation through PHAB since the organization launched in 2011. However, hundreds of health departments across the country are preparing to seek accreditation through PHAB, the non-profit organization that administers the national public health accreditation program. “We are pleased and excited to be recognized for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement,” said Florence Pourtal-Stevens, Public Health Director, of the Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division. “The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation, Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work. This could not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of everyone involved with serving our community in the best way possible.” The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s nearly 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer- reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures. “Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health,” Pourtal-Stevens said. “By continuing to improve our services and performance, we can be sure we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible.” Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. In cities, towns, and states across the nation, health departments provide a range of services aimed at promoting healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; ensuring access to safe food, water, clean air, and life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies. In Coos County, the Public Health department offers a wide array of services and programs aimed at preventing diseases, promoting health and healthy behaviors from a very young age, and ensuring access to healthcare. Specifically, the Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division ensures communicable diseases are prevented and controlled; our restaurants, pools and spas, traveler’s accommodations, and temporary food vendors are licensed and inspected; works with community partners to improve our vaccination rates ensuring that those who cannot be vaccinated are protected against preventable diseases; offers birth control, reproductive health and sexual health services; offers WIC supplemental nutrition services; works with families of young children and children with special health care needs to strengthen their parenting skills and help navigate often complicated health care systems; ensures access to healthcare for those without health insurance by assisting with getting onto the Oregon Health Plan. “The Coos Health & Wellness Public Health Division joins the growing ranks of accredited health departments in a strong commitment to their public health mission,” said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN. “The peer-review process provides valuable feedback to inform health departments of their strengths and areas for improvement, so that they can better protect and promote the health of the people they serve in their communities. Residents of a community served by a nationally accredited health department can be assured that their health department has demonstrated the capacity to protect and promote the health of that community.” The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10-year period by hundreds of public health practitioners working at the national, Tribal, state, and local levels. Since the program’s launch in September 2011, hundreds of public health departments have applied to PHAB for accreditation, and hundreds of public health practitioners from across the nation have been trained to serve as volunteer peer site visitors for the program. “Achieving accreditation indicates that [name of your health department] is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the community by striving to continuously improve the quality of the services it delivers,” said Joe Finkbonner, MHA, Executive Director of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board in Portland, Oregon. “Accreditation also promotes consistency in meeting standards. With an ever-increasing number of health departments now applying for and becoming accredited, you will be able to expect to receive the same quality of public health services wherever you go in the United States.” Coos Health & Wellness offers Public Health, Behavioral Health and Health Promotion services to our community and the Coos County Public. We are located at 281 LaClair Street in Coos Bay. Our phone number is 541-266-6700. You can learn more about Coos Health & Wellness and Public Health by visiting www.cooshealthandwellness.org.