Naugatuck Valley Health District earns accreditation

Naugatuck Valley Health District (NVHD) has qualified for national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).

“We are pleased and excited to be recognized for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous improvement,” said Karen Spargo, Director of Health of the Naugatuck Valley Health District.

“The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation, NVHD is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work,” she said.

PHAB is a nonprofit organization that “works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of the nation’s state, local, tribal, and territorial public health departments,” according to its website.

The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards toward which the nation’s more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can focus.

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

“Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that Naugatuck Valley Health District has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health,” said Carissa Caserta, Assistant Director for Community Health.

The Naugatuck Valley Health District joins the growing ranks of accredited health departments in a strong commitment to their public health mission,” said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender.

“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,” Bender said.

The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10year 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.

“Achieving accreditation indicates that Naugatuck Valley Health District is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the community by striving to continuously improve the quality of the services it delivers,” said Leslie M. Beitsch, MD, JD, chair of PHAB’s Board of Directors and chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at Florida State University College of Medicine.

“Accreditation also promotes consistency in meeting standards” Beitsch said.

Naugatuck Valley Health District, 98 Bank St., Seymour, serves residents of Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Seymour and Naugatuck.

For more informationon district’s services, call Naugatuck Valley Health District at 881-3255 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or visit www.nvhd.org.