County Legislature commends Health Department on National Accreditation

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Legislature celebrated the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments for earning a national accreditation. County Legislator Don Allport, second from right, holds the plaque showing the accreditation. He is joined at Tuesday’s Legislature meeting by, from left: Carie Doty, senior account clerk; Kristine Voos, epidemiology coordinator for the two counties; and Paul Pettit, public health director.

ALBION – The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have joined an exclusive group for earning national accreditation.

The local health departments, GO Health, are among 17 of the 58 in the state with national accreditation. The local department also is now among 400 in the country out of 3,000 with the distinction.

The Orleans County Legislature this week commended public health director Paul Pettit and the staff for pushing for the accreditation, a process that started in 2019. He highlighted the efforts of Carie Doty and Kristine Voos for serving as co-coordinators for the accreditation process.

Accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board is awarded to health departments that meet or exceed a comprehensive set of quality standards and measures, Pettit said. As accredited health departments, GO Health will continue to prioritize evidence-based practices, innovative solutions, and strong partnerships to ensure a healthier future for the residents of Genesee and Orleans counties, he said.

“We’ve been able to provide and efficient and quality service to the residents of Genesee and Orleans counties,” Pettit said.

GO Health earned the accreditation on Feb. 27. The two counties worked together as a health department for 13 years now, with a joint board of health and other shared staff.

The two counties combined employ about 50 employees in public health. Each county has its own health department, but they share seven department heads, including Paul Pettit as the public health director.

One county can also pull from another county if there is a staffing need, such as a vaccination clinic. Working as integrated departments has allowed the two departments to better balance surges during the Covid pandemic with Covid testing, vaccinations and providing communications in a cohesive manner, county officials said.

The Genesee and Orleans Health Departments also have received joint county grants for public health initiatives in the two counties. The partnership has allowed the two counties to fill workforce gaps, drive efficiencies and look for innovative ways to advance the two-county collaboration, according to county officials.