Are all types of local public health agencies in North Carolina required to be accredited?

Yes. A state law requires each local public health agency to obtain and maintain accreditation.[1] State regulations set the standards that must be met for an agency to be accredited.[2] This requirement applies to any agency functioning as a “local health department” under North Carolina law. The statutory definition of “local health department” includes a county health department, a district health department, or a public health authority. Although the definition does not mention consolidated human services agencies, a separate law states that such agencies “shall have the responsibility to carry out the duties of a local health department.”[3] Obtaining and maintaining accreditation appears to be one such duty.

There is a national initiative encouraging local health departments to obtain voluntary accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).[4] This initiative is separate from North Carolina’s program.  A North Carolina LPHA must obtain accreditation through the state program. It may pursue accreditation through PHAB as well, but that is voluntary. The accreditation standards are similar in both programs, but the North Carolina program’s standards incorporate numerous elements of North Carolina law, while PHAB’s standards are necessarily more generic.