The Michigan Local Public Health Accreditation Program: many partners--one vision

The Michigan Local Public Health Accreditation Program ensures the quality of local public health in Michigan by identifying and promoting the implementation of public health standards and evaluating and accrediting local departments' ability to meet them. The program is a collaborative effort between the Michigan Public Health Institute and the Michigan Departments of Agriculture, Community Health, and Environmental Quality. This article presents a case study. From the conceptual stage of designing a mode of collaboration to examining each step in the process, the goal is to provide a basic understanding of objectives of the accreditation program. The article concludes with the early results, providing a platform for future study.