The Florida Senate

Prevent to the fullest extent possible, the occurrence and progression of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and disabilities.

Maintain a constant surveillance of disease occurrence and accumulate health statistics necessary to establish disease trends and to design health programs.

Conduct special studies of the causes of diseases and formulate preventive strategies.

Promote the maintenance and improvement of the environment as it affects public health.

Promote the maintenance and improvement of health in the residents of the state.

Provide leadership, in cooperation with the public and private sectors, in establishing statewide and community public health delivery systems.

Provide health care and early intervention services to infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, and high-risk perinatal patients who are at risk for disabling conditions or have chronic illnesses.

Provide services to abused and neglected children through child protection teams and sexual abuse treatment programs.

Develop working associations with all agencies and organizations involved and interested in health and health care delivery.

Analyze trends in the evolution of health systems, and identify and promote the use of innovative, cost-effective health delivery systems.

Serve as the statewide repository of all aggregate data accumulated by state agencies related to health care; analyze that data and issue periodic reports and policy statements, as appropriate; require that all aggregated data be kept in a manner that promotes easy utilization by the public, state agencies, and all other interested parties; provide technical assistance as required; and work cooperatively with the state’s higher education programs to promote further study and analysis of health care systems and health care outcomes.

Include in the department’s strategic plan developed under ²s. 186.021 an assessment of current health programs, systems, and costs; projections of future problems and opportunities; and recommended changes that are needed in the health care system to improve the public health.

Regulate health practitioners, to the extent authorized by the Legislature, as necessary for the preservation of the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

The head of the Department of Health is the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer. The State Surgeon General must be a physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 who has advanced training or extensive experience in public health administration. The State Surgeon General is appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate. The State Surgeon General serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The State Surgeon General shall serve as the leading voice on wellness and disease prevention efforts, including the promotion of healthful lifestyles, immunization practices, health literacy, and the assessment and promotion of the physician and health care workforce in order to meet the health care needs of the state. The State Surgeon General shall focus on advocating healthy lifestyles, developing public health policy, and building collaborative partnerships with schools, businesses, health care practitioners, community-based organizations, and public and private institutions in order to promote health literacy and optimum quality of life for all Floridians.

The Officer of Women’s Health Strategy is established within the Department of Health and shall report directly to the State Surgeon General.

Division of Administration.

Division of Environmental Health.

Division of Disease Control.

Division of Family Health Services.

Division of Children’s Medical Services Network.

Division of Emergency Medical Operations.

Division of Medical Quality Assurance, which is responsible for the following boards and professions established within the division:

Division of Children’s Medical Services Prevention and Intervention.

Division of Information Technology.

Division of Health Access and Tobacco.

Division of Disability Determinations.

The members of each board within the department shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. Consumer members on the board shall be appointed pursuant to paragraph (b). Members shall be appointed for 4-year terms, and such terms shall expire on October 31. However, a term of less than 4 years may be used to ensure that:

A member whose term has expired shall continue to serve on the board until such time as a replacement is appointed. A vacancy on the board shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. No member may serve for more than the remaining portion of a previous member’s unexpired term, plus two consecutive 4-year terms of the member’s own appointment thereafter.

Each board with five or more members shall have at least two consumer members who are not, and have never been, members or practitioners of the profession regulated by such board or of any closely related profession. Each board with fewer than five members shall have at least one consumer member who is not, and has never been, a member or practitioner of the profession regulated by such board or of any closely related profession.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department is authorized to establish uniform application forms and certificates of licensure for use by the boards within the department. Nothing in this paragraph authorizes the department to vary any substantive requirements, duties, or eligibilities for licensure or certification as provided by law.

Provide incentives, including, but not limited to, the promotional items listed in paragraph (b), food and including food coupons, and payment for travel expenses, for encouraging healthy lifestyle and disease prevention behaviors and patient compliance with medical treatment, such as tuberculosis therapy and smoking cessation programs. Such incentives shall be intended to cause individuals to take action to improve their health. Any incentive for food, food coupons, or travel expenses may not exceed the limitations in s. 112.061.

Plan and conduct health education campaigns for the purpose of protecting or improving public health. The department may purchase promotional items, such as, but not limited to, t-shirts, hats, sports items such as water bottles and sweat bands, calendars, nutritional charts, baby bibs, growth charts, and other items printed with health promotion messages, and advertising, such as space on billboards or in publications or radio or television time, for health information and promotional messages that recognize that the following behaviors, among others, are detrimental to public health: unprotected sexual intercourse, other than with one’s spouse; cigarette and cigar smoking, use of smokeless tobacco products, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; alcohol consumption or other substance abuse during pregnancy; alcohol abuse or other substance abuse; lack of exercise and poor diet and nutrition habits; and failure to recognize and address a genetic tendency to suffer from sickle-cell anemia, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. For purposes of activities under this paragraph, the Department of Health may establish requirements for local matching funds or in-kind contributions to create and distribute advertisements, in either print or electronic format, which are concerned with each of the targeted behaviors, establish an independent evaluation and feedback system for the public health communication campaign, and monitor and evaluate the efforts to determine which of the techniques and methodologies are most effective.

Plan and conduct promotional campaigns to recruit health professionals to be employed by the department or to recruit participants in departmental programs for health practitioners, such as scholarship, loan repayment, or volunteer programs. To this effect the department may purchase promotional items and advertising.

Beginning in fiscal year 2010-2011, the department shall initiate or commence new programs only when the Legislative Budget Commission or the Legislature expressly authorizes the department to do so.

Beginning in fiscal year 2010-2011, before applying for any continuation of or new federal or private grants that are for an amount of $50,000 or greater, the department shall provide written notification to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The notification must include detailed information about the purpose of the grant, the intended use of the funds, and the number of full-time permanent or temporary employees needed to administer the program funded by the grant.