The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). DPH achieved initial accreditation status from PHAB on November 14, 2017, following a rigorous, peer-reviewed assessment process demonstrating that it met or exceeded PHAB's standards and measures. More recently, DPH received PHAB reaccreditation on May 14, 2025, reaffirming DPH’s commitment to delivering quality public health services to the Commonwealth.
Accreditation is a significant achievement. PHAB administers the national accreditation program and sets standards grounded in Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS). Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, accreditation aims to improve and protect community health by advancing the quality and performance of state, tribal, local, and military installation health departments serving Army locations.
DPH’s accreditation efforts are supported by the CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) which aims to strengthen the capacity and resilience of public health departments across the United States. Support from this grant helps DPH advance its accreditation efforts and align its work with its mission and organizational and community-specific needs.
What does accreditation mean?
The accreditation process has enabled DPH to evaluate and strengthen the way it works to protect and promote the health of the Commonwealth. Public health accreditation reinforces the role of health departments and partners in delivering the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS).
The FPHS outline the vital public health capabilities that public health agencies need to protect and promote community health. Updated in 2022 to reflect evolving public health priorities, the FPHS provide a framework for public health practice, while the PHAB Standards and Measures guide accreditation and continuous improvement efforts. Together, they provide a roadmap for effective and equitable public health practice.
Maintaining public health accreditation allows DPH the opportunity to ensure that the FPHS for the Commonwealth reflect on performance management and quality improvement that align with the state health department’s strategic priorities. To maintain accreditation, reports are submitted each year after the initial approval, and departments must undergo reaccreditation approximately every five years.
There are a few of the many documents that have contributed to the reaccreditation process:
Past accreditation documents
2017 Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA)
The 2017 MA State Health Assessment is a report on the health of the citizens of the Commonwealth grounded in data from existing DPH data sets, external data sources such as US Census, CDC, and other state agencies as well as through the Statewide Partnership Advisory group, focus group input, existing DPH advisory group input, key informant interviews, and the general public.
DPH, in collaboration with our colleagues across the Commonwealth, is dedicated to understanding the social determinants that contribute to the disparities highlighted in the 2017 State Health Assessment. Collecting data on how these factors shape existing and emerging health issues helps us understand what we can do as a Commonwealth to make Massachusetts an even healthier place to live.
Massachusetts has always been a leader in tackling some of our toughest public health problems through the use of innovative, evidence-based strategies. This assessment is a foundation for developing the next set of great ideas and strategies to ensure optimal health for all residents of this great Commonwealth, particularly for those in our most vulnerable communities.
2014 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)
The 2014 State Health Improvement Plan PDF | Doc is based on a comprehensive data analysis and has served as a blueprint for policy and program initiatives to prevent injury and disease, promote wellness and health equity, and protect state residents from health risks. The plan demonstrates how public health prevention efforts can be instrumental in achieving health care reform and emphasizes reduction of health disparities.
The SHIP identifies priorities for public health system improvement, establishes goals, SMART objectives, and sound performance measures to address key public health priorities over time. The SHIP charts a direction for health improvement efforts in Massachusetts and is organized around these seven health outcome domains.
DPH's Office of Performance Management and Quality Improvement (PMQI) is responsible for providing leadership and coordinating department-wide initiatives that seek to continually improve the quality and performance of programs, services, and processes within the Department in order to ensure continued accreditation status. In addition, this office provides technical assistance to local health departments interested in maintaining and achieving public health accreditation.
For additional information contact the PMQI Team: PMQI@mass.gov.