Media Contact: Jennifer Palomino, Public Information Officer, PH-PIO@ventura.org
PDF Versions: English Press Release, Spanish Press Release
Ventura County, CA — Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) today announced it has successfully completed a rigorous process to maintain national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). This announcement follows PHAB’s national release, recognizing 14 health departments across the country for achieving accreditation or reaccreditation. As the first local health department in California to earn PHAB accreditation in 2014, VCPH continues to lead ahead among the other local health departments by meeting national standards and demonstrating excellence in protecting community wellness and delivering high‑quality public health services. In California, 29 out of 61 local health departments are accredited by PHAB. By maintaining its accreditation for another five years, VCPH has demonstrated that it meets or exceeds PHAB’s quality standards and continues to improve in its efforts to protect the health of all Ventura County residents.
As a non-profit national organization, 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 honored to once again be recognized for meeting rigorous national standards that strengthen our effectiveness and support a culture of continuous quality improvement,” said Rigoberto Vargas, Public Health Director. “Maintaining accreditation reinforces our commitment to ensuring that the services we provide remain responsive, high‑quality, and aligned with the evolving needs of our residents. In essence, this is confirmation that VCPH has demonstrated capacity to be increasingly effective at improving the health of the community”.
VCPH delivers a broad range of programs and services that protect health, prevent disease, and support the well-being of families across the county. This includes emergency preparedness and response efforts, strong performance management and strategic planning systems, and community-centered initiatives that engage diverse partners to advance health equity. VCPH teams also work in communicable disease control, health education, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, and community outreach, ensuring services are responsive, evidence-based, and accessible to all residents.
“We are pleased to see Ventura County 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-accredited health departments 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.
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About the Ventura County Public Health
VCPH works to protect and promote the health and well-being of everyone in Ventura County through a wide range of programs and services that support safe, healthy communities where people can LIVE, WORK, LEARN, and PLAY. Learn more about VCPH at https://hca.venturacounty.gov/public-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. For more information, contact PHAB Communications at communications@phaboard.org. Learn more about PHAB and accreditation at www.phaboard.org.
