Recognized by NCLHDA for Excellence in Public Health
Pitt County Health Department was among thirteen health departments across the state that were reaccredited by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation (NCLHDA) Board on May 9, 2025.
“We celebrate each health department who has newly completed an accreditation cycle. Accreditation is a quality improvement process to help agencies identify strengths and opportunities as health departments work daily to serve their communities. The accreditation process requires teamwork and dedication from health department staff, Boards of Health members, site visitors, and Accreditation Board members, all working together to identify, clarify, verify, and amplify the quality work taking place across our state. Each of these agencies has demonstrated their ability to maintain and/or exceed the standards established by the NCLHDA program, including throughout their COVID response. Congratulations!”
comments Margaret Benson Nemitz, NC Local Health Department Accreditation Administrator.
Accreditation with Honors designation recognizes agencies that especially excelled in their accreditation assessment by missing one or less activities within each of five standards set by the NCLHDA Program. Pitt County received this designation along with 9 other counties including – Albemarle Regional Health Services, Columbus County Health Department, Guilford County Department of Public Health, Jackson County Department of Public Health, Mecklenburg County Public Health Department, Montgomery County Department of Health, Rockingham County Health Department, Sampson County Health Department, and Wilkes County Health Department. This honorary designation was implemented for the first time in Fall of 2017. Pitt County has received this honor in each reaccreditation assessment since its implementation.
“The reaccreditation process is a rigorous and comprehensive undertaking that reflects years of dedicated preparation. I am immensely proud of our staff for their unwavering commitment to excellence and for being recognized for the outstanding quality of work they deliver each day,”
says Wes Gray, Pitt County Health Director.
North Carolina is the first state in the country to mandate accreditation for its local health departments. The focus of North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation (NCLHDA) is to assure that core public health services are provided and promote quality improvement in order to add value in local communities.
The process of accreditation includes three major components – a self-assessment completed by the agency, a site visit by a multidisciplinary team of peers to review performance standards and determination of accreditation status by an independent Accreditation Board comprised of state and local public health officials, Board of Health members, County Commissioners and at large members.
The NC Local Health Department Accreditation Program is a collaboration of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health (part of the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors.
For more information,
contact Allison Swart,
Health Education Division Director,
252-902-2426.