Since 1892, the Pasadena Public Health Department has been responsible for helping protect, maintain and improve the health of the Pasadena community. The City of Pasadena is one of only three cities in the state of California that maintains its own independent local health jurisdiction with responsibility for a wide variety of services that support the three core public health functions of assessment, policy development and assurance.
Mission Statement
The City of Pasadena Public Health Department is dedicated to the physical, social and mental well-being of all who live, work, learn and play in Pasadena.
Vision Statement
The Pasadena Public Health Department will lead the city to be the model of health excellence and community wellness.
Core Values
The Pasadena Public Health Department is committed to building trusting relationships with the community we serve; providing high-quality services; making health services accessible; instilling the value of public health; and creating opportunities that foster health professional excellence.
Department Leadership
Manuel Carmona, MPA
Interim Director of Public Health
As the City’s Interim Director of Public Health, Manuel Carmona is responsible for the overall planning, administration, and operation of the Pasadena Public Health Department. Prior to appointment as Interim Director of Public Health, Manuel served as Deputy Director and management analyst at the Pasadena Public Health Department. His professional experience includes developing and maintaining critical community programs in the areas of violence prevention; health equity; and maternal, adolescent and child health.
Prior to joining the Pasadena Public Health Department in 2014, Manuel worked in a range of municipal operations for other California cities, including human resources, economic development, code enforcement, and parks and recreation. He expects to complete a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington in the fall of 2022. Manuel has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in community & regional development from the University of California, Davis.
Organizational Structure
In November 2016, the Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) successfully achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), a non-profit organization. The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing and ultimately transforming the quality and performance of the nation’s state, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments.
At the time, PPHD was one of only eight public health agencies in California and less than 200 across the nation to achieve this distinction. However, hundreds of health departments across the country are preparing to seek accreditation through PHAB.
With accreditation, PPHD is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations to better serve the health needs of the Pasadena community. The Public Health Accreditation Board evaluation analyzed many things, such as how well the Pasadena Health Department is able to assess health conditions in the community and how well staff are prepared to respond to disease outbreaks or other emergencies.
For additional information on public health accreditation, visit http://www.phaboard.org/