The Kane County Health Department announced Wednesday (Nov. 27, 2019) that it has successfully achieved national reaccreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board, extending its accreditation status for another five years.

KCHD was the first county health department in Illinois to achieve accreditation.

“The Kane County Health Department is proud of achieving reaccreditation,” said KCHD Executive Director Barbara Jeffers. “Our team members strive to uphold the national standards for excellence in public health. The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community.”

The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s nearly 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.

To receive reaccreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.

Kane County Big Latch-On event in 2016 at the VNA in Aurora. (CREDIT: Kane County Health Department)

“The Kane County Health Department remains as a highly accredited health department with a strong commitment to their public health mission,” said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN. “The peer-review process provides valuable feedback to inform health departments of their strengths and areas for improvement, so that they can better protect and promote the health of the people they serve in their communities. Residents of a community served by a nationally accredited health department can be assured that their health department has demonstrated the capacity to protect and promote the health of that community.”

KCHD has been recognized for creating and supporting numerous outreach programs, including Kane Kares, which provides assistance for first time mothers; Kane Health Counts, a community health improvement plan; All Our Kids early childhood networks; Fit For Kids, a program to reduce childhood obesity[ and the Kane County Behavioral Health Council, which oversees communicable disease monitoring and awareness, emergency preparedness, environmental health, and numerous community partnerships.

Kane County Health Department Executive Director Barb Jeffers plugs the county’s electric vehicle into the new charging station.

Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. In cities, towns, and states across the nation, health departments provide a range of services aimed at promoting healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; ensuring access to safe food, water, clean air, and life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.

The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10-year period by hundreds of public health practitioners working at the national, Tribal, state, and local levels. Since the program’s launch in September 2011, hundreds of public health departments have applied to PHAB for accreditation, and hundreds of public health practitioners from across the nation have been trained to serve as volunteer peer site visitors for the program.

The Kane County Health Department was formed in 1985 by resolution of the Kane County Board to promote, protect and advocate for health and wellness in the community. The main offices are in Aurora, with a satellite office in Elgin. The department is organized into the Division of Health Promotion, the Division of Disease Prevention and the Division of Community Health Resources.

The vision of KCHD is to make Kane County residents the healthiest in Illinois by 2030.

For more information, visit KaneHealth.com or call 630-208-3801.

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department news release

Feature Photo Caption

The Kane County Health Department staff welcomes U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, IDPH Director Dr. Nirav D. Shah and County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen Wednesday for an Opioid Roundtable meeting. (CREDIT: Kane County Health Department)