With funding from the CDC’s Office for State, Tribal, Local, & Territorial Support, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) recently announced a funding opportunity for local health departments (LHDs) to engage in accreditation readiness activities. The 2013–2014 Accreditation Support Initiative (ASI) awards are intended to stimulate quality improvement and promote LHD readiness to seek voluntary national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Potential uses of the award include project activities involving efforts to meet the identified PHAB prerequisites, achievement of PHAB standards and measures, and offsetting accreditation fees. In addition to monetary support, selected sites will have opportunities for peer networking and sharing, and access to technical assistance from NACCHO, peers, and subject matter experts as applicable.

PHF can assist health departments responding to this NACCHO announcement in multiple ways. PHF has many resources and tools that local health departments are using in preparing for accreditation. These include:

• Public Health Improvement Resource Center - Offers more than 500 resources covering a multitude of needs a health department might have
• TRAIN - PHF's Learning Management Network with robust reporting capabilities to help managers and employers identify necessary training and track employee completion of training
• Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals - Describe skills desirable for delivering public health services 

Visit our Accreditation Preparation webpage for a full list of resources and tools.

How to Apply

The NACCHO Request for Applications (RFA) and the application reference document outline all details and requirements. All information can be found at www.naccho.org/fees. Applications, via the online submission form, are due Wednesday, November 13, 2013.