ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County was among 10 North Carolina health departments accredited Nov. 21 by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board, earning the recognition with honors for meeting every required activity.
Richmond County was one of seven agencies to receive honors, along with Alamance County Health Department, Halifax County Health Department, Surry County Health & Nutrition Center and Swain County Health Department. Edgecombe, Nash and Polk county health departments also earned accreditation.
“This honorary designation was implemented for the first time in Fall of 2017 to recognize agencies that especially excelled in their accreditation assessment by missing one or less activities within each of five standards set by the NCLHDA Program. The program is especially pleased to see that this special recognition was achieved by such a diverse group of local health departments,” read a press release by the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health.
North Carolina became the first state in the country in 2005 to mandate accreditation for local health departments, according to the release.
The accreditation process includes three major components — a self-assessment by the agency, a site visit from a multidisciplinary peer team and a final determination by an independent board of state and local public health officials, Board of Health members, county commissioners and at-large representatives.
“Congratulations to each health department who has newly completed an accreditation cycle. Accreditation is a quality improvement process to assure that core public health services are provided in all North Carolina counties and add value in local communities,” said Margaret Benson Nemitz, NC Local Health Department Accreditation Administrator, in the press release.
Nemitz continued, “The accreditation process requires teamwork and dedication from health department staff, Boards of Health members, peer site visitors, and Accreditation Board members, all working together to identify, clarify, verify, and amplify the quality work taking place across our state. Each of these agencies has demonstrated their ability to maintain and/or exceed the thorough standards established by the NCLHDA Program. Well done!”
The Richmond County Health Department met all 147 activities across Board of Health and governance, administrative services, assessment, assurance, facilities and policy development.
“… accomplished something that’s very powerful and that is the Richmond County Health Department received 100% accreditation score which is really very rare across the state when you look at those. So, on behalf of the board, Heather Horne, commends you and your team for your work to make that happen. I know this was a longer time frame that you had to work with because of COVID to go through the accreditation process,” said Chairman Rick Watkins at the December county commissioner meeting, where a plaque was presented.
(NOTE: Watkins was serving as chairman of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners at the time of the presentation. The board elected Jeff Smart as new chairman later in the same meeting.)