Must a CHSA be accredited by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board?

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” in G.S. 130A-2 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 is one such duty.