Landscape of Wisconsin's Voluntary Public Health Accreditation: Impact of Accreditation on Local Health Departments

Wisconsin was among the first states to have PHAB accredited health departments and currently has among the most accredited health departments located in one state. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with representatives (i.e. health department directors and/or accreditation coordinators) from Wisconsin's six accredited health departments. Facilitators, barriers and the impact of accreditation were explored. Maintaining accreditation status was also examined. Preliminary findings indicate strong leadership engagement as a facilitator to accreditation. Competing priorities and sufficient time allocation were noted as barriers to the accreditation process. Respondents indicated the impact of accreditation has been an increased visibility and credibility for their organizations. For example, health departments have seen an increase in earned media attention as well as an increase in community partner involvement. Improved documentation of health department activities such as Performance Management and Quality Improvement and were also mentioned as impacts of accreditation.