Quality improvement and accreditation: what might it look like?

Following the 2006 release of the Exploring Accreditation Project report on the desirability and feasibility of establishing a national voluntary public health accreditation program, the Public Health Accreditation Board was established. Since that time, standards, measures, and an assessment process have been developed. Beta testing of the full accreditation cycle is underway. The Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation program relies heavily on quality improvement as its cornerstone. In this commentary, we describe how accreditation and quality improvement can operate together synergistically to strengthen public health practice and improve outcomes at the community level.