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A health department or health ministry is a part of
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
which focuses on issues related to the general
health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
of the
citizenry Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
.
Subnational entities Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
, such as states,
counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
and
cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, often also operate a health department of their own. Health departments perform
food inspection Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from t ...
s and other health related inspections (the person who performs this job is often called a
public health inspector Environmental Health Officers (also known as Public Health Inspectors or Environmental Health Practitioners) are responsible for carrying out measures for protecting public health, including administering and enforcing legislation related to enviro ...
),
vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
programs, free STD and
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
tests, tobacco enforcement and cessation programs, and other
medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
assistance programs. Health departments also compile
statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...
about health issues within their area. The role of a health department may vary from one country to the other, but their primary objective is always the same; safeguarding and promoting health. In 1986, several of the world's national health departments met to establish an international guideline by which health departments operate. The meeting was in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario, Canada, and hence the guidelines established are known as the
Ottawa Charter The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion is the name of an international agreement signed at the First International Conference on Health Promotion, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and held in Ottawa, Canada, in November 1986.Wor ...
. The Ottawa Charter was designed to 'achieve Health for All'. "Health department" can also refer to a
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
health
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
.


Around the world

Most
executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...
governments in the world are divided into departments or
ministries Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
. In Canada, Health Canada is the federal agency in charge of healthcare. The first ministry of health in Canada was established by legislation in the Province of New Brunswick in 1918, making it the first cabinet-level Department of Health in the British Empire, with Dr. William F. Roberts of Saint John, N.B. as the first Minister of Health in the British Empire. In the People's Republic of China, the China Health Ministry initially oversaw healthcare before it was dissolved. The majority of its functions have now been integrated into a new agency called the National Health Commission. In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health supervises the country's health departments and agencies under it, most of which are located in Abuja, the country's capital.


United States Health Departments


Programs and services

In the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for coordinating health programs in the country. With more than 100 programs and services, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aims to "protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves." These federal programs consist of social service programs,
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
and healthcare privacy programs, disaster preparedness programs, and health related research. HHS offers a variety of social service programs geared toward persons with low income,
disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
, military families, and senior citizens. Healthcare rights are defined under HHS in the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA or the Kennedy– Kassebaum Act) is a United States Act of Congress enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1 ...
(
HIPAA The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA or the Kennedy– Kassebaum Act) is a United States Act of Congress enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1 ...
) which protect patient's privacy in regards to medical information. HHS collaborates with the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is an operating agency of the United States Public Health Service, U.S. Public Health Service within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health ...
and Office of Emergency Management to prepare and respond to health emergencies. A broad array of health related research is supported or completed under the HHS; secondarily under HHS, the Health Resources & Service Administration houses data warehouses and makes health data available surrounding a multitude of topics. HHS also has vast offering of health related resources and tools. Some examples of available resources include
disease prevention Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, consists of measures taken for the purposes of disease prevention.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental hea ...
, wellness, health insurance information, as well as links to healthcare providers and facilities, meaningful health related materials, and
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
and safety information.


Health departments in the United States

There are several tiers of health departments in America: federal, state, tribal, insular areas,
freely associated states The Compact of Free Association (COFA) is an international agreement establishing and governing the relationships of free association between the United States and the three Pacific Island sovereign states of the Federated States of Micronesia (F ...
, and local levels. In relation with state and local government, the federal government provides states with funding to ensure that states are able to retain current programs and are able to implement new programs. The coordination between all three levels is critical to ensure the programs being implemented are well structured for each level. The health department at state level needs to safeguard good relations with legislators as well as governors in order to acquire legal and financial aid to guarantee the development and enhancements of the programs. Assemblies are set up to guide the relationships between state and local health departments. The state sets up the regulations and health policies whereas the local health departments are the ones implementing the health policies and services.


Federal

*
Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...
(HHS, renamed in 1980 from the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
(HEW))


State

*
Alabama Department of Public Health The Alabama Department of Public Health is the primary state health agency of the government of the U.S. state of Alabama. It provides a number of public health services to Alabama residents. Chronically underfunded for decades, even by a healt ...
(ADPH) *
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is a state agency of Alaska, headquartered in Juneau, Alaska, Juneau.Arizona Department of Health Services Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is a state agency of Arizona, headquartered in Downtown Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the Unit ...
(ADHS) *
Arkansas Department of Health The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH or commonly Health Department within the state) is a department of the government of Arkansas under the Governor of Arkansas. It is responsible for protecting health and well-being for all Arkansans. ADH is a ...
(ADH) *
California Department of Public Health The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is the state department responsible for public health in California. It is a subdivision of the California Health and Human Services Agency. It enforces some of the laws in the California Healt ...
(CDPH) *
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for public health and environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all liv ...
(CDPHE) *
Connecticut State Department of Public Health Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
(CSDPH) *
Delaware Division of Public Health Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
(DDPH) *
District of Columbia Department of Health A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
(DCDH) *
Florida Department of Health The Florida Department of Health is responsible for protecting the public health and safety of the residents and visitors of the state of Florida. It is a cabinet-level agency of the state government, headed by a state surgeon general who reports ...
(FDH) *
Georgia Department of Public Health The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is the principal state agency of Georgia responsible for disease prevention, promoting health as well as disaster preparedness, in conjunction with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA). I ...
(GDPH) *
Hawaii State Department of Health The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) is a state agency of Hawaiʻi, with its headquarters in Honolulu CDP, Honolulu County on the island of Oʻahu. The Hawai'i Department of Health is organized into three administrations: Health Resources, B ...
(HSDH) *
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is a public health agency in the state of Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United Stat ...
(IDHW) *
Illinois Department of Public Health The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is the code department of the Illinois state government that prevents and controls disease and injury, regulates medical practitioners, and promotes sanitation. IDPH offices The Illinois Department ...
(IDPH) *
Indiana State Department of Health Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 5 ...
(ISDH) *
Iowa Department of Public Health Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is a state agency of Iowa focusing on public health. It is headquartered in the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines. References External links Iowa Department of Public Health
State agencies of Io ...
(IDPH) *
Kansas Department of Health and Environment The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is a state agency in Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska ...
(KDHE) *
Kentucky Department for Public Health Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
(KDPH) *
Louisiana Department of Health The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) (French: Département de La Santé de Louisiane) , formerly known as the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (French: Département de La Santé et des Hôpitaux) , is a state agency of Louisiana, h ...
(LDH) *
Maine Department of Health and Human Services Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
(MDHHS) *
Maryland Department of Health The Maryland Department of Health is an agency of the government of Maryland responsible for public health issues. The Department is headed by a Secretary who is a member of the Executive Council/Cabinet of the Governor of Maryland. Currently t ...
(MDH) *
Massachusetts Department of Public Health The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with various responsibilities related to public health within that state. It is headquartered in Boston and headed by Commissioner Monica B ...
(MDPH) *
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is a principal department of state of Michigan, headquartered in Lansing, that provides public assistance, child and family welfare services, and oversees health policy and management. ...
(MDHHS) *
Minnesota Department of Health The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is the state health agency of the State of Minnesota in the United States. The department has four offices in Saint Paul and seven outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area: Bemidji, Duluth, Fergus Fa ...
(MDH) *
Mississippi State Department of Health Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is a state agency headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; t ...
(MSDH) *
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services The Department of Health and Senior Services is responsible for managing and promoting all public health programs to improve life and wellness for Missourians. They are responsible for maintaining programs to control and prevent disease; regulati ...
(MDHSS) *
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
(MDPHHS) *
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services The Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is a state agency of Nebraska, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln.C ...
(NDHHS) *
Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...
(NDPBH) *
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services The New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is a state agency of the U.S. state of New Hampshire, headquartered in Concord. Providing services in the areas of mental health, developmental disability, substance abuse, and publi ...
(NHDHHS) *
New Jersey Department of Health The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey's State Board of Health was established in 1877. Its administrative functions were vested in the Department of Health, which was crea ...
(NJDH) *
New Mexico Department of Health The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is the state agency charged with handling all medical and health related fields within the state of New Mexico in the United States. History In 1919, the first meeting of the State Board of Health of ...
(NMDH) *
New York State Department of Health The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is the department of the New York state government responsible for public health. It is headed by Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett, who was appointed by Governor Hochul and confirmed by the S ...
(NYSDH) *
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS or DHHS) is a large state government agency in the U.S. state of North Carolina, somewhat analogous to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The NCDHHS has mor ...
(NCDHHS) *
North Dakota Department of Health North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...
(NDDH) *
Ohio Department of Health The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is the administrative department of the government of Ohio, Ohio state government responsible for coordinating activities for child and family health services, children with medical handicaps, early intervention ...
(ODH) *
Oklahoma State Department of Health The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health. The department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other e ...
(OSDH) * Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division (OHA) *
Pennsylvania Department of Health Pennsylvania Department of Health is a cabinet-level agency in Pennsylvania. Secretaries See also * Health department * List of Pennsylvania state agencies State related agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Agencies *Pennsylvania A ...
(PDH) *
Rhode Island Department of Health The Rhode Island Department of Health is a state government agency located in Providence, Rhode Island. The interim Director of the Department of Health is James McDonald, who succeeded Nicole Alexander-Scott in January 2022. Mission The Depa ...
(RIDH) *
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC or DHEC) is the government agency responsible for public health and the environment in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was created in 1973 from the merger of the South ...
(SCDHEC) *
South Dakota Department of Health South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
(SDDH) *
Tennessee Department of Health The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is the primary agency of state government in Tennessee responsible for public health. Its workforce provides a variety of direct and indirect services to residents and visitors in all 95 counties of the ...
(TDH) *
Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Department of State Health Services is a state agency of Texas. The department was created by House Bill 2292 of the 78th Texas Legislature in 2003 through the merging of four state agencies: the Texas Department of Health, Texas Department ...
(TDSHS) *
Utah Department of Health The Utah Department of Health is the Government of Utah's body responsible for public health. It is headquartered in the Cannon Health Building in Salt Lake City. Services In July 2014 the Utah Department of Health issued its first permits for ...
(UDH) *
Vermont Department of Health The Vermont Department of Health is a government department responsible for the health of the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a sub-division of the Vermont Agency of Human Services. As of March 2017, the Department of Health is led by Mark Levine, M ...
(VDH) *
Virginia Department of Health The Virginia Department of Health oversees public health throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country ...
(VDH) *
Washington State Department of Health The Washington State Department of Health is a state agency of Washington. It is headquartered in Olympia, Washington. The agency was created by the state legislature in May 1989 after splitting from the Washington State Department of Social and ...
(WSDH) * West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health (WVDHHR) *
Wisconsin Department of Health Services The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WisDHS) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for maintaining public health. It administers a wide range of services in the state and at state institutions, regulates hosp ...
(WDHS) *
Wyoming Department of Health The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is a state agency of Wyoming. It has its headquarters in the Hathaway Building in Cheyenne. History In November 1990 Wyoming voters approved a constitutional amendment that abolished the Wyoming Board of Chari ...
(WDH)


Tribal

*
Indian Health Service The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an operating division (OPDIV) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally-recognized Nativ ...
(IHS) *
Navajo Nation Department of Health The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...
(NNDH)


Insular areas

*
American Samoa Government Department of Human and Social Services American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
*
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth Health Corporation A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
* Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health *
Puerto Rico Department of Health The Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) is one of the Cabinet-level agencies directly created by Article 4, Section 6 of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. It is headed by a Secretary of Health, appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico and re ...
(''Departamento de Salud, Gobierno de Puerto Rico'') *
US Virgin Islands Department of Health The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...


Freely associated states

* Republic of the Marshall Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services * Federated States of Micronesia Department of Health and Social Affairs * Republic of Palau Ministry of Health


Local

*
Chicago Department of Public Health The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is a government department of the City of Chicago. The purpose of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is too create a thriving and healthy community within the city of Chicago, Illinois by ...
(CDPH) *Long Beach (California) Department of Health and Human Services *
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is the department of the government of New York City responsible for public health along with issuing birth certificates, dog licenses, and conducting restaurant inspection and enforcem ...
(NYCDHMH) *Pasadena (California) Public Health Department * San Francisco Department of Health


Grants and contracts

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acts as the most extensive grant funding agency in the country. While several grants are delivered to non-government agencies, the majority of HHS federal grants are administered to states, territories, and tribes. Beneficiaries of federal funds are prohibited from lobbying government officials for legislative influence or additional funding. HHS and the
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
, are accountable to Congress for conducting research that is amenable to both federal and state regulatory policies and a cost-effective budget. HHS uses grants to finance and encourage government research interests. Additionally, HHS routinely sets fixed price and cost reimbursement contracts with private companies in order to obtain products and services for government operations.https://www.psc.gov/docs/default-source/acquisition/federal-contracting-highlights-aligned_wmilestonesprocessflow_v6.pdf HHS aims to issue these contracts with adherence to federal contract laws, HHS acquisition policies, and local operating procedures.


United States approach to laws and regulations affecting local, state, and federal health departments


History

There is some dispute at the local level as to the claim of being the first to establish a local board or health department. For example, The city of
Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...
claims it established the first permanent board of health in 1780; The city of
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
claims it is established the first US health department in 1793,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
followed 1794, claiming its Board of Health as "one of the first"; and Boston, Massachusetts claims in 1799 it established the first board of health and the first health department, with Paul Revere named as the first health officer. At the state level,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
was the first state to create a state board of health in 1855, but it functioned primarily to influence regulations in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. Massachusetts was the first to establish a state board that functioned throughout its state with statewide authority in 1869. At the national level, a simple National Board of Health functioned from 1879 to 1883, but it was not until 1939 that another federal agency that operated to manage public health on a national level was established, going from a federal agency called the Federal Security Agency that had health functions such as the
United States Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant S ...
(PHS), and the
United States Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...
(FDA). In 1953, that agency was reorganized and its health functions were elevated to a cabinet-level position to establish the
United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...
(HEW), which was renamed in 1980 to become the current and modern
United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
(HHS).


Current laws and regulations at each level of government

HHS notes the laws and regulations that it carries out on its website. Every state also has a health department to which HHS has given a description and hyperlink for each state health department. Other levels of government within each state are varied. For example, the
California Department of Public Health The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is the state department responsible for public health in California. It is a subdivision of the California Health and Human Services Agency. It enforces some of the laws in the California Healt ...
(CDPH) has within it a health department in each of its 58 counties. However, other localized versions exist. In the consolidated city and county of
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, the San Francisco Department of Health serves both the municipal corporation (city) and the administrative division (county) of the state. Three cities within California operate their own health departments, while simultaneously being under the jurisdiction of their county's health department. In
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...
, the
City of Berkeley Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryvi ...
operates its own Public Health Division. Similarly, in
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and the Pasadena Public Health Department serve the cities of
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
and
Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...
, respectively.


See also

*
Health minister A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Count ...
*
Health board (disambiguation) Health board may refer to: * District health boards in New Zealand * Health Board (Estonia) * Health board (Ireland) *Local board of health, in England and Wales from 1848 to 1894 *Local health board NHS Wales has been organised into administr ...


References


External links


The state health department
- American Public Health Association
Health Department Directory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Health Department