State health agency
A state health agency (SHA), or
Following passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, during the first ten years of the program the state health departments were given new and important roles under the law. Due to new grants available, they had enhanced their programs and had many more resources to oversee and help utilities come into compliance with drinking water standards, and they were able to develop other related activities like the capacity for doing risk assessments on new contaminants of concern.[1]
Terminology
Although the vast majority of these agencies are officially called "departments," the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials adopted "state health agency" as the generic term to reflect the fact that a substantial number of these agencies are no longer state "departments" in the traditional sense of a cabinet-level organizational unit dedicated exclusively to public health.[2] During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, at least 20 states and the District of Columbia merged these departments with other government agencies that provide social services, welfare, or other types of unrelated services.[2] The result is that in those jurisdictions, the state government agency that actually provides public health services is but one of several units inside a large cabinet-level agency.[2]
Responsibilities
State health departments have different names and responsibilities; in some states they are top-level administrative agencies, while in other states they are a division or bureau of another office. Health departments are usually responsible for
In some states, state health departments may additionally be responsible for
State health agencies (SHAs)
It has been suggested that this section should be split into a new article titled Health departments in the United States. (discuss) (April 2024) |
The following are state health agencies as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:[3]
Further reading
EPA Alumni Association: Drinking Water, Half Century of Progress – a brief history of U.S. efforts to protect drinking water
See also
- Health departments in the United States
- State education agency
- Health care in the United States
- United States Department of Health and Human Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
References
- ^ EPA Alumni Association: Senior EPA officials discuss early implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, Video, Transcript (see p23).
- ^ ISBN 9781305855717. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ "Public Health Resources: State or Territorial Health Departments". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "Surgeon General and Secretary - Florida Department of Health". www.floridahealth.gov.
- ^ "State Health Commissioner". State of Indiana. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ "Director's Office".
External links
- StatePublicHealth.org - "State public health information and analysis."
- hss.alaska.gov - "Alaska Department of Health and Social Services"
- Rutgers University 12 Week Environment and Public Health course - "Rutgers University 12 Week Environment and Public Health Course prepares students for public health agency careers"