Oct. 23, 2025 – Reno/Sparks, Nev. — Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) has maintained national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), a national recognition for meeting high standards in public health.
In maintaining its accreditation status for another five years, NNPH has demonstrated that it meets PHAB’s quality standards and measures and has the capacity to continue to evolve, improve and advance to better serve the health of residents in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County.
“Reaccreditation by PHAB is more than a milestone – it’s a reaffirmation of our commitment to excellence in public health,” said Dr. Chad Kingsley, District Health Officer in Washoe County. “It reflects the dedication of our entire team to continuously improve, innovate, and respond to the evolving needs of our community. We’re proud to maintain this national recognition and will continue working to protect and promote the health of everyone in Washoe County.”
NNPH achieved national initial accreditation status through PHAB in 2019, after undergoing a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it met a set of quality standards and measures.
The process to get reaccredited started in 2023, with NNPH establishing internal committee to document how our programs met or exceeded PHAB standards.
NNPH provides a wide range of services to protect and promote the health of all people in Washoe County. From immunizations and disease surveillance to air quality monitoring and environmental health inspections, NNPH works across five divisions to address the region’s most pressing health challenges. Recent efforts have included expanding access to COVID-19 and flu vaccines, addressing rising rates of pertussis (whooping cough), and strengthening emergency preparedness.
The non-profit PHAB works to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure, and innovation. PHAB’s accreditation program, which receives support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sets standards against which the nation’s governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.
“We are pleased to see Northern Nevada Public Health, along with many others, successfully maintaining their five-year PHAB accreditation,” said PHAB President and CEO Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP. “This demonstrates that accreditation is not just a one-time achievement but an ongoing commitment to excellence. By maintaining accreditation, these health departments reaffirm their dedication to continuous improvement and community health.”
Often called the “backbone” of the public health system, public health departments are on the front lines of communities’ efforts to protect and promote health and prevent disease and injury. PHAB typically provides reaccreditation to health departments that demonstrate great leadership by placing their work for peer review, with the goal of using the feedback obtained during the process to improve the services they provide to their communities.
About Northern Nevada Public Health
Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) is nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through the policy-making District Board of Health. NNPH consists of five divisions: Administrative Health Services, Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services, and Population Health.
About the Public Health Accreditation Board
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) was created to serve as the national public health accrediting body and is jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Vital Records/Health Statistics accreditation is funded, in part, by the National Center for Health Statistics. The development of national public health department accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, state, local, Tribal, and territorial levels. Learn more at https://www.phaboard.org.