The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department announced that it received national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board Thursday.

Dan Partridge, the director of the health department, called it an important milestone for the organization, which has been around for more than 120 years.

“This is really the work of the community,” Partridge said. “We wouldn’t be here without our (community partners).”

Partridge said the department began preparing for the application process in 2012. What followed was a “rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment,” according to a press release.

The Public Health Accreditation Board was formed in 2007 and is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I am extremely proud that our city-county health department has achieved accreditation,” said David Ambler, a member of the department’s governing board, in a statement. “Being accredited assures the people of Lawrence and Douglas County that their health department operates at the highest level of professionalism in providing a healthy environment for all its citizens.”