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la <br />10 <br />b. Resolution Supporting Accreditation for Local Health <br />Departments <br />The Board considered adopting a resolution of support for promoting health department <br />accreditation in North Carolina, and have the Clerk forward executed copies to the Secretary of <br />the Department of Health and Human Services and to the Orange County Legislative <br />Delegation. <br />There was a revised abstract (blue sheet}. <br />Health Director Rosemary Summers said that the North Carolina Association of Local <br />Health Directors has been studying this issue of accreditation for more than six years and it <br />gained some impetus this past year when the Secretary of the Department of Health and <br />Human Services appointed a Public Health Task Force, and Chair Carey was appointed to the <br />task force as a Commissioner representative. One of the subcommittees of the task force <br />studied accreditation. This system of accreditation will serve a lot of benefits in <br />professionalizing the departments and put some quality control measures upon services being <br />delivered, and it is a way of recognizing in the community the level of services that are provided. <br />This does not mean that public health will be the same across the state, but there is the <br />capability of providing a basic set of services. <br />The revised resolution calls for voluntary accreditation and the Board of Health called <br />for mandatory accreditation. <br />Chair Carey said that the NCACC will be acting on a similar resolution and he <br />encouraged the Board to support this. He served on two groups that reviewed this process. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to <br />approve and authorize the Chair to sign the revised resolution of support as stated below for <br />promoting health department accreditation in North Carolina, and have the Clerk forward <br />executed copies to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and to the <br />Orange County Legislative Delegation. <br />Resolution Promoting Health Department Accreditation <br />In North Carolina <br />Whereas, the North Carolina Public Health Task Force 2004 was established in mid-2003 to <br />study public health in North Carolina and to devise an action plan to strengthen public health <br />infrastructure, improve health outcomes, and eliminate health disparities; and <br />Whereas, the six committees of the Task Force reflect the Task Force's six focus areas: <br />accreditation of state and local health departments; public health structure and organization; <br />public health funding; workforce development and training; improving public health planning, <br />resources and health outcomes; and quality improvement and accountability; and <br />Whereas, the North Carolina Public Health Task Force 2004 recommendations on accreditation <br />are to establish state-level support for a system of accreditation and to fund local health <br />departments for the accreditation process; and <br />Whereas, accreditation is a publicly and professionally accepted mechanism far demonstrating <br />the competence of organizations; and <br />Whereas, competent local public health departments are essential to the protection of the <br />public's health; <br />