PITTSBORO, N.C. — The Chatham County Public Health Department (CCPHD) received word that it was awarded re-accreditation with honors from the NC Local Health Department Accreditation program. The recognition signifies that the Department excelled in its recent accreditation assessment along with meeting a legislatively-mandated set of performance standards.

North Carolina is the first state in the country to mandate accreditation for its local health departments, and the Chatham County Public Health Department has been accredited since 2004. Re-accreditation normally takes place every four years but was extended to six due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CCPHD received accreditation with honors, meaning that the Department met nearly all of the 150 activities evaluated in the re-accreditation process. The process of accreditation includes three major components – a self-assessment completed by the agency, a site visit by a multidisciplinary team of peers to review performance standards, and determination of accreditation status by an independent Accreditation Board comprised of state and local public health officials, Board of Health members, County Commissioners, and public members.

“Achieving reaccreditation with honors, despite the unique demands of the past few years, is a testament to the incredible work of our team and support from the Board of Health,” said Mike Zelek, Chatham County Public Health Director. “I am grateful to our staff for delivering high-quality services day in and day out to make Chatham County a healthier and more equitable place.”

The CCPHD was re-accredited this year along with 11 other departments across the state and held its place as one of the 84 accredited public health departments in North Carolina.

“All of the agencies recently achieving reaccreditation have much to be proud of,” said Amy Bellflower Thomas, NC Local Health Department Accreditation Administrator. “They have not only demonstrated their ability to meet a set of important performance standards but excelled in many areas. Through reaccreditation, these agencies demonstrate a strong commitment to continuously work to improve the quality of services provided to their respective communities.”

The NC Local Health Department Accreditation program is a collaboration of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health (part of the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors.

To learn more about the Chatham County Public Health Department, visit www.chathamcountync.gov/publichealth or www.facebook.com/chathamhealth. To learn more about the NC Local Health Department Accreditation program and process, visit https://nclhdaccreditation.unc.edu/.