Accreditation

Health Departments across the nation are working to provide services following a set standard of care. Although, there is nothing new about core functions and essential services provided by health departments, there is now a requirement to move toward becoming an Accredited Public Health Department. What this means to the community is that all Health Department’s across the nation will provide services and care based on a set standard. This is the same concept as the Standard of Care you expect to receive from hospitals which are accredited. Within the state of Ohio, the mandate is to be Accreditation ready by 2018, with Accreditation achieved by 2020.

Since 2013, the Kenton Hardin Health Department (KHHD) Administration Team has been meeting monthly on the first Tuesday of every month. During the meetings, each Division is discussed, including the Accreditation Pathway, Policies, Quality Improvement, and Planning Development; and Accreditation Education has been integrated in the monthly Board of Health meetings.

In the 2014 year, a Community Health Assessment Advisory Committee was formed. The Kenton Hardin Health Department worked and collaborated with Community Partners to see the first Comprehensive Community Health Assessment conducted in 2014 and released in 2015. To meet standards this process will be repeated every three years.

In the 2016 year, Kenton Hardin Health Department revamped the Mission of the Health Department and created a Vision and Value Statements, developed Domain Teams and Leaders, and began the process of preparing documentation according to the guidance contained in the standards and measures for application. In May 2016, the initial Community Health Improvement Planning meeting was conducted with external partners and stakeholders from the county, as well as internal groups such as the Board of Health and the Kenton Hardin Health Department staff members. In October 2016, the first Quality Improvement initiative: to increase current substance abuse data from sources & substance abuse data was initiated.

The Strategic Plan for the Health Department has been in process since 2015. As of December 2016, the Board of Health met and completed Strategic Planning Inputs for the Plan. Staff members, along with the Administration Team and the Board of Health, have reviewed and approved the Hardin County Procedural Handbook; wrote and approved the Kenton Hardin Health Department Branding Policy, the Workforce Development Plan, and the Quality Improvement Plan for the Health Department.

In 2017 the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) followed by the Health Department Strategic Plan were completed.

The Health Department continues to move forward with Accreditation initiatives. The Health Department is currently in the process of applying for Accreditation. The application was completed in March 2018. We completed and achieved national accreditation status in November of 2021. Any community member who would like to become a part of the CHIP committee may contact the Health Department for more information. All Local Health Departments are required to collaborate with local hospitals, and move from a 5-year CHA plan to a 3-year plan.

The Hardin County Community Health Assessment, the Community Health Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan can be found at the links on this page, or the Network of Care for Hardin County link on this page. If you would like more information on this process or to view the Standards and Measures of Public Health for Accreditation please visit the link on this page or Google Public Health Accreditation Board.