Saint Paul, MN (Dec. 12, 2023 )  – Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health has successfully completed an external review to maintain national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).

In achieving accreditation for another five years, Public Health has demonstrated that it meets PHAB’s national quality standards and has the capacity to evolve, and advance to continue improving the health of Ramsey County residents.

“Achieving PHAB reaccreditation is a rigorous process which requires extensive documentation and external validation of 122 different measures,” said Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health Director Sara Hollie. “We are pleased to again be recognized by PHAB for achieving these national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement.”

Hollie said PHAB accreditation is an important indicator for residents, community, partners and funders of the quality of the department’s policies, procedures and its day-to-day work. “We often talk about the dedication, passion and quality of our staff’s work, but the PHAB reaccreditation impartially validates we’re meeting national standards,” she said.

The non-profit PHAB works to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation. PHAB’s accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.

Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health achieved initial accreditation through PHAB in 2016 after undergoing a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it met a set of quality standards and measures. The reaccreditation goes a step further by showing the department has the capacity to become increasingly effective at improving the health of the community. The department is one of 10 PHAB-accredited local public health departments in Minnesota, and 322 across the country.

 “We are extremely pleased to be at the point in the accreditation program where Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health, along with many others, are successfully maintaining their five-year accreditation status through PHAB,” said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, FAAN. “In so doing, these health departments are assuring their communities that the value of accreditation is long-term -- not a one-time recognition -- and that continual improvement is the hallmark of a 21st century organization.”

Often called the “backbone” of the public health system, public health departments are on the front lines of communities’ efforts to protect and promote health and prevent disease and injury. PHAB-accredited health departments demonstrate great leadership by placing their work for peer review, with the goal of using the feedback obtained during the process to improve the services they provide to their communities.

Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health provides a range of services as it works in partnership with residents, community partners, and other units of government to promote, protect and improve the health of people and the environment in Ramsey County. It is one of the largest local public health departments in Minnesota, serving Saint Paul and all other cities in Ramsey County. The department traces its origins to the appointment of the first public health officer by the city of Saint Paul in 1854. Saint Paul and Ramsey County’s previously separate public health departments merged in 1997 through a joint powers agreement.