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Trumbull commissioners praise health district accreditation

WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners and the health commissioner on Wednesday praised the employees of the Trumbull County Combined Health District for acquiring national accreditation.

Trumbull County joins only 38 health departments in the state that achieved accreditation, though the state set a 2020 deadline for all 113 health departments to get the accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board of Virginia.

Health Commissioner Frank Migliozzi said achieving the feat required thorough and constant work from employees who had to document and compile information for the accreditors. The work isn’t just about paperwork, Migliozzi said — but about ensuring the public is getting the best from its publicly funded health department.

“Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that the Trumbull County Combined Health District has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health,” Migliozzi said. “By continuing to improve our services and performance, we can be sure we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible.”

Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said the achievement comes during the health department’s 100-year anniversary and proves that since the creation of the health department, residents can be confident the department is using the highest standards to give residents high-quality services.

Migliozzi said the health department has an outstanding workforce that went through a rigorous process.

Natalie Markusic, accreditation coordinator for the health district, said the office created an accreditation team with staff from all levels and departments, and the process greatly improved communication among multiple departments.

“Through the accreditation process, we have implemented a number of measures to improve the overall exchange of information and general understanding of the new and current programs requirements, grant status and requirements, important local news and legislative decisions, environmental issues, etc. Not only does this keep the staff better informed, but it has provided a more unified sense of one agency / team rather than environmental staff vs. nursing staff,” Markusic said.

The accreditation process is designed to ensure health departments are collecting, comparing, crunching and acting on information and data so interactions with the public are the most efficient and hard-hitting, Markusic said.

The process helped the department improve attendance at a car seat safety class, improved handicap access to the office’s first floor, improved reporting animal bites, reduced time and paperwork for some office operations, and now is working to simplify application for the household sewage treatment system program, Markusic said.

“We are working hard to be more visible in the community and establish the trust necessary for the public to view us as the go-to agency for public health information. We hope that as news of our accreditation spreads and the community understands the significance of accreditation, the community will look to TCCHD for their public health information,” Markusic said.

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