Public health department accreditation and environmental public health: a logical collaboration.

edi tor ’s note: NEHA strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column from the Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal. In this column, EHSB and guest authors from across CDC will highlight a variety of concerns, opportunities, challenges, and successes that we all share in environmental public health. EHSB’s objective is to strengthen the role of state, local, and national environmental health programs and professionals to anticipate, identify, and respond to adverse environmental exposures and the consequences of these exposures for human health. The services being developed through EHSB include access to topical, relevant, and scientific information; consultation; and assistance to environmental health specialists, sanitarians, and environmental health professionals and practitioners. The conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rob Blake is chief of the Environmental Health Services Branch at CDC and has been working in the environmental health field for more than 30 years. Liza Corso is acting branch chief for CDC’s Agency and Systems Improvement Branch within the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support. Kaye Bender is the president and CEO for the Public Health Accreditation Board, the organization that oversees the voluntary accreditation of health departments across the country.