CARMEL – Nationally accredited in 2016 as the first health department in the entire Hudson Valley to maintain national accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Putnam County Health Department has been re-accredited for demonstrating the capacity to “evolve, improve and advance the health of Putnam residents.”
County Executive Kevin Byrne commended the county’s workforce. “We have a number of exceptional public servants throughout county government, but today, it is Dr. (Michael) Nesheiwat and his team who deserve the credit for all they have built, and it is certainly worthy of recognition. This announcement should also reassure partner organizations and my colleagues in government that the services from the health department are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community.”
“When Putnam County and indeed the entire country shut down in March 2020, our health department had already made great advances incorporating the main tenets of accreditation into our culture,” said Dr. Nesheiwat. “These tenets, particularly our focus on quality improvement and performance management have grown to become foundational to our work. It is only because of the commitment of our staff that the high standards Public Health Accreditation Board has set can be met.”
Accreditation Board President and CEO Paul Kuehnert said, “In successfully maintaining your five-year accreditation status, the Putnam County Department of Health is assuring their communities that the value of accreditation is long-term—not a one-time recognition—and that continual improvement is the hallmark of a 21st century organization.”
