Accreditation and QI, Illinois

In 1993, a new local health department certification program was launched under the auspices of the Project Health Implementation Plan. Its goal was to ensure the delivery of quality public health service to Illinois citizens.

Illinois has a three-step certification process:

1. Local health departments (LHDs) conduct a needs assessment.
2. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reviews the results of the assessment.
3. The IDPH director grants a five-year certification to the LHD upon approval of the assessment results and affirmation of compliance with all practice standards.

Illinois also participates in the Multi-State Learning Collaborative (MLC) project, which assesses quality improvement strategies to enhance the work of public health departments.