East Shore District Health Dept. Achieved National Accreditation

BRANFORD, CT — The East Shore District Health Department which serves Branford, East Haven, and North Branford, has achieved national accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board.

The Board is the sole national accrediting body for state, local, Tribal, and territory/freely associated state public health departments in the U.S.

The Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation is "regarded as the most prestigious form of accreditation," according to ESDHD Emergency Preparedness Coordinator/Health Educator Elisabeth Matuska.

The national accreditation program sets standards against which the roughly 3,000 governmental public health departments nationwide can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds quality standards and measures.

In a news release, it's noted that the "Achievement would not have happened without the support of the numerous community members, partners, and town/state leaders, who work to make our community a better place," ESDHD Board of Directors, staff, and CEO/Director of Public Health Dr. Michael Pascucilla emphasized.

Founded in 1974, ESDHD is one of fewer than 500 health departments across the country that have thus far achieved accreditation through PHAB since the organization launched in 2011. It is the second local health district in Connecticut to achieve accreditation.

Over the past ten years, ESDHD has conducted a comprehensive review of its department policies and practices, to ensure that it’s meeting nationally recognized, evidence-based standards in delivering high-quality public health services to the community.

ESDHD recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This significant milestone served as an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and successes over the past five decades.