Public Health Accreditation

On November 10, 2015, the Rhode Island Department of Health officially received its accreditation for five years from the Public Health Accreditation Board. This national performance recognition program designed for public health agencies throughout the United States launched the accreditation program in 2011 and has accredited 93 health departments in the first 4 years of operations, 84 of which are local health departments in several states. Rhode Island is among the first 12 state health departments to receive this recognition. more

This accreditation is the official recognition that the Department of Health has met rigorous standards established by PHAB, a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose goal is to "advance public health performance". Being accredited means our Department is committed to continuous quality improvement so that we can meet our communities' needs as effectively as possible.

PHAB accreditation standards are based on the 10 Essential Services of Public Health, the guiding framework in the United States for the responsibilities of local public health systems.

What you should know

The Rhode Island Department of Health coordinates all public health activities and services throughout the state. Six divisions and their centers work with the general public, healthcare providers, hospitals, community partners, schools, local, state, and federal offices and agencies, as well as the media, to prevent disease and to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of Rhode Island.

To better protect and promote the health of all Rhode Islanders, the Department of Health has also established an ongoing Quality Improvement (QI) program and uses the QI tools to analyze and make our operations more efficient.