The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) serves as the national accrediting body for state, local and Tribal public health departments. PHAB accreditation is a rigorous, standards-based process that helps health departments improve the quality and performance of the services they provide. It promotes transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring that public health agencies are well-equipped to protect and promote the health of the communities they serve.
The Iowa Department of Public Health achieved initial accreditation in November 2018, and the Iowa HHS Division of Public Health successfully achieved reaccreditation in February 2026. In addition to state-level accreditation, six local health departments in Iowa are also PHAB accredited.
Iowa HHS is committed to maintaining its accreditation and supporting local and Tribal agencies on their own accreditation journeys by providing technical assistance and resources. Even when accreditation is not the immediate goal, Iowa’s local health departments are encouraged to use the PHAB standards to guide their work. Applying these standards can help promote consistency in public health practice and service delivery across the state.
PHAB's Standards and Measures
To become accredited, health departments must demonstrate proficiency in PHAB's standards and measures. These standards and measures are organized into ten domains aligned with the 10 Essential Public Health Services framework and the Foundational Public Health Services. They cover a broad range of core public health programs, services and activities.
Examples of topics covered within the accreditation standards include:
- Environmental public health
- Health education and promotion
- Chronic disease prevention and control
- Infectious disease
- Injury prevention
- Maternal and child health
- Public health emergency preparedness
- Access to clinical services
- Public health laboratory services
- Management/administration
- Governance
Benefits of Accreditation
Accreditation is more than a process for demonstrating that standards are being met - it provides an opportunity to strengthen how health departments work and continuously improve.
Iowa HHS leadership have identified several benefits of accreditation work including:
- Focused improvement: Identifying and addressing specific opportunities to strengthen our work
- Cross-department collaboration: Creating a mechanism for meaningful conversations and collaboration across the department
- Documentation: Elevating the importance of documenting our work, processes and practices
- Integration: Embedding workforce development, quality improvement, communication and performance management into our work
For more information about national accreditation, visit www.phaboard.org.