Rappahannock Area Health Division Earns National Certification

Only 11% of public health departments nationwide earn national certification, and there are only five in Virginia. RAHD is now one of those five.

May 31, 2024

by Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In the ever-changing world of healthcare, one institution that is involved at all levels of keeping citizens healthy is too often grossly misunderstood - the local public health department.

This is, in large part, because the health department is involved in so many activities - from inspecting and permitting food establishments to administering the Women’s Infants and Children (WIC) program, and so much more.

The diversity of activities, however, is the key to understanding the department’s importance.

“Historically,” says Allison Balmes-John, population health manager for the local Rappahannock Area Health District, “public health has been thought of as a safety net. But we do more than that.”

Today, she says, RAHD plays the role of “chief health strategist.”

“We have limited staff and there are lots of health issues in the community,” Balmes-John told the Advance. “However, there are also a lot of assets in our community.” RAHD’s job is to look at these challenges and opportunities holistically and pull pieces together.

“If we see something in the data that says mental health is poor in a given section, and we know there’s a provider who can help,” Balmes-John said, “we help build the connections that address the needs.”

Recently, the Rappahannock Area Health District gained public attention for its significant role in helping our region with its COVID-19 response. It was a crisis moment that public health departments are - ideally - prepared to deal with.

Recognized Excellence

Today, RAHD announced that it had earned national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board, making RAHD just one of five local health districts in Virginia to earn the accreditation. Statewide, there are 35 local health districts.

Nationally, only about 11% of local health departments are nationally accredited.

The national accreditation program receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. Standards emphasize Foundational Capabilities and are aligned with the 10 Essential Public Health Services.

“In receiving PHAB accreditation, we have validated the trust and reliance our stakeholders have shown us,” said Dr. Olugbenga Obasanjo, RAHD district director. “At a time when pandemic fatigue was eroding Public Health credibility, our community, partners, elected officials, and state leaders supported, promoted and actively participated in our decision to pursue PHAB accreditation. This recognition reassures us all that the services we provide are responsive to the needs of our community.”

Learn More about RAHD

You can learn more about RAHD by visiting its website at the Virginia Department of Health.

Two of the most important documents for the community that RAHD is involved in producing are the Community Health Assessment and the Community Health Improvement Plan.

These documents provide an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities facing the region.

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