Department of Health

Oklahoma Department of Health

Oklahoma Department of Health

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is the Department of the Oklahoma Government that is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and provides many essential human services to the residents of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State Department of Health serves as the primary agency that provides public health protection throughout the State.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is led by a State Board of Health. The Board of Health is composed of nine members. These nine members are appointed by the Governor and must be approved by the State Senate. The Board of Health is then required to appoint the State Commissioner of Health.

The Commissioner serves as the Executive Officer of the Department and is the lead health authority in the State. Dr. Terry Cline, Ph.D., was appointed to serve as the Commissioner in June 30, 2009, making him the 20th individual to hold the position. The Department was created in 1963 by Governor Henry Bellmon.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health has an annual budget of well over three hundred million dollars. It is one of the larges employers in the State, with a population of more than 2,000 employees.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health works in close collaboration with the Oklahoma State Department of Human Services.  If you need legal advice and assistance, contact Oklahoma lawyers.

Nebraska Department of Health

Nebraska Department of Health

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is the State agency in Nebraska that has its headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. The primary concern of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is to provide essential health and human services.
One of the major operations conducted by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is the Division of Children and Family Services. The Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center – Kearney, in Kearney, Nebraska, is the primary juvenile correctional facility for boys in the State. The juvenile correction facility for girls is the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center- Geneva, located in an unincorporated part of Fillmore County near Geneva, Nebraska.
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (DOC) operated these facilities for 23 years until January 1, 1997, when the management of these youth correctional facilities were transferred out of the DOC’s scope and made the responsibility of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. This transfer of responsibility was in part due to the fact that the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was already handling troubled juveniles through its Child Protective Services Division. 

Indiana State Department of Health

Indiana State Department of Health

The Indiana State Department of Health supports the economic prosperity and quality of life for Indiana’s residents, known as Hoosiers, through a series of programs devoted to promoting, protecting, and providing for the health of Hoosiers in their own communities.
In order to improve the health across the State, the Indiana State Department of Health focuses on data-driven policies that should help the Department determine the appropriate evidence-based activities. The Indiana State Department of Health also tries to evaluate its activities in order to ensure that it is obtaining measurable results. The Indiana State Department of Health also seeks to engage its partners in providing healthier options and include intra-agency programs in policy-making and programming whenever appropriate.
The Indiana State Department of Health lists the essential partners that should be included in its efforts as the following:
    Local health departments,
    Physicians,
    Hospitals and other heath care providers,
    Related State agencies and officials, as well as their local and Federal counterparts,
    Community leaders,
    Businesses,
    Health insurance companies,
    Medicaid,
    Health care interest groups, and
    Economic interest groups,
The Indiana State Department of Health is also not shy about recruiting other groups that fall outside of the typical public health model.
The Indiana State Department of Health also attempts to integrate public health and health care activities to improve general Hoosier health. 

Utah Department of Health

Utah Department of Health

The Utah Department of Health has almost 1,000 employees. In 2009, Utah was ranked as the second healthiest state in the nation, according to a United Health Foundation report. The Utah Department of Health is committed to doing its part to make sure that citizens of Utah remain healthy.
The Utah Department of Health works alongside other State agencies and twelve local health departments. It monitors the quality of food, the air that is breathed, the water that Utahans drink, and outbreaks of infectious diseases and preventing the spread of these diseases. These programs are aimed at the general population, while other programs of the Utah Department of Health are targeted to aid specific segments of the population.
Some of these individuals targeted are mothers and children, providing immunizations and prenatal care when appropriate. The Department has the responsibility to license health care facilities to ensure that these facilities are safe, clean and able to care for the sick. The largest program that the Department of Health oversees is Medicaid.
In addition, the Utah Department of Health promotes healthy living through educational programs out of the belief that when people have good information they can make good choices in regards to their health. The Utah Department of Health provides a broad range of activities, initiatives, and programs.
The vision of the Utah Department of Health is to achieve a Utah that is “a place where all people can enjoy the best health possible, where all can live, grow, and prosper in clean, safe communities.”

Louisiana Department of Health

Louisiana Department of Health

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals handles a variety of issues affecting the people of Louisiana. Some of the concerns which the Department addresses include abuse, asthma, birth certificates, cardiovascular health, commercial body art, community care, death certificates, developmental disabilities issues, disaster medical relief, early hearing loss detection and intervention, emergency health care, engineering operator certification process, Family Assistance Center, the Find Family Call Center and fish advisories. 

Other issues include fitness programs, flu care, food distribution, food manufacturing, food storage, health care reform initiatives, health professional shortage area reports, HIPAA adherence, immunizations, J-1 Visa Waiver Program administration, licensing standards, Louisiana Health First initiative, marriage licenses, Medicaid disbursement, mental health concerns, National Health Service Corps, nursing aide programs, nursing home monitoring, policy and regulation creation, sanitation issues, the State Loan Repayment Program, and substance abuse/addiction programs.

The Find Family Call Center was established by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to allow individuals to locate family members who were unsettled by Hurricane Katrina.

In addition to running these programs, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals also answers questions about fitness, general health, home health, imported dry wall, the LaCHIP program, lead problems, issues related to lead in toys and jewelry, missing or deceased persons, mold, nursing home culture change, nutrition problems and concerns, oil spill cleanup, pesticides in general and especially in schools, sanitation concerns, problems with sexually transmitted diseases, and/or tanning. 

If you need legal advice and assistance, contact Louisiana lawyers.

New York State Department of Health

New York State Department of HealthThe New York State Department of Health is the Cabinet-level Department in the State of New York, which is the governmental body that
bears the responsibility for ensuring public health in the State. The NY State Department of Health is headed by the Health Commissioner. Since March 21,
2007, that position has been held by Richard F. Daines, M.D.

The New York State Department of Health is one of the Nation’s leading public
health care agencies. The NY State Department of Health has an annual budget of
approximately 49 billion dollars. The New York State Department of
Health administers health insurance programs, regulates hospitals as well as
other health care facilities, and conducts research in one of the premier
biomedical laboratories in the county, as well as supports public health
prevention initiatives.

In recent years, the NY State Department of Health has shaped significant health
care reforms that have been approved by the State Legislature. Some of these
reforms include increased access to health insurance coverage for the uninsured
and under-insured, an increased focus on providing both preventative and
primary care to patients, initiatives to improve the quality of care given to
patients, and an increased level of investing in health information technology
in order to help doctors and health care professions increase the standard of
care provided to patients. 

Rhode Island Department of Health

Rhode Island Department of Health

The Rhode Island Department of Health is a State Government agency that is located in Providence, Rhode Island. The head of the RI Department of Health is Director of Health, David R. Gifford, M.D., MPH.
The mission of the RI Department of Health is “to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of Rhode Island.”
In order to help the RI Department of Health accomplish its mission, it coordinates the statewide public health activities of a variety of centers, offices and divisions.
Central Management is divided into three distinct programs:
Executive Functions, which is headed by the Director of Health, oversees all activities which are sponsored by the RI Department of Health;
Management Services oversees the budget for the RI Department of Health and provides support to help the other aspects of the Department manage and perform their programs;
Emergency Preparedness and Response helps the RI Department of Health divisions and offices plan, support, assess, and educate the broader community during disasters or emergencies.
The Office of State Medical Examiners investigates the cause of all deaths that happen in the State. The Medical Examiners Office is considered a part of the RI Department of Health since it is used to investigate and identify causes of death that may pose a threat to the public and uses this information to promote public awareness and safety. 
The Environmental and Health Services Regulation licenses and regulates health professionals, in addition to monitoring the quality of drinking water and beaches. 
The Office of Public Health Information provides the public with information to help them understand health risks and make healthier, safer choices. 
Community and Family Health and Equity develops programs to eliminate health disparities.
The Office of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology conducts disease surveillance and responds to outbreaks.

Idaho Department of Health

Idaho Department of Health

The primary mission of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is to promote and protect the health and safety of Idahoans.

The programs and services provided by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare are designed to help the residents of Idaho to live healthy, productive lives. The additional goals of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare are to strengthen individuals, families and communities.  The work of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare lasts from a resident's birth until death.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is forced to deal with complex social, economic, and health issues. Requests are made to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare every day for food assistance or for medical insurance assistance. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is able to help residents with child care, child support, and substance abuse problems. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is at the forefront of protecting and promoting public health throughout the State.

One of the ultimate goals of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is the help its residents become self-reliant and to work with them to identify issues and solutions to the problems which are confronting them in order to ensure that the individual will not have to rely upon the Idaho Department in the future. Contact Idaho lawyers for legal advice and assistance.