FEBRUARY 11, 2002
AGENDA ITEM NO. 15
Introduced by the Human Services Committee of the:
RESOLUTION #03-032
WHEREAS, the Ingham County Health Department is a department of Ingham County government; and
WHEREAS, the Health Department Director is appointed by the Board of Commissioners with the concurrence of the Michigan Department of Community Health; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners requires the Health Department to operate in accordance with the administrative practices and policies of the Board as overseen by the County Controller; and
WHEREAS, the Michigan Public Health Code requires the Michigan Department of Community Health to approve the Plan of Organization of local health departments, and the MDCH requires the Board of Commissioners to approve the Plan of Organization for the Health Department; and
WHEREAS, the Health Officer has recommended the Plan of Organization and advised that it accurately describes the Health Department's structure and relationships with the County.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners adopts the attached Ingham County Health Department Plan of Organization, which shall be in effect until modified by action of the Board of Commissioners.
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: Yeas: Dedden, Weatherwax-Grant, Swope, Hertel, Severino
Nays: None Absent: Celentino Approved 2/3/03
PLAN OF ORGANIZATION
The Ingham County Health Department exists as a unit of Ingham County government. The Department is one of many departments/offices/units which operate under the direction of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners. There are sixteen Ingham County Commissioners who are elected for two year terms. The Board of Commissioners appoints the Health Officer to serve as the Director of the Health Department and establishes through its annual budget process the personnel and other resources available to the Health Department to carry out its statutory mission and any other duties assigned by the Board of Commissioners.
The Board of Commissioners has established a number of administrative policies/procedures and rules for the operation of all county departments. These include the operation of the personnel functions and the financial management functions (budgeting, general ledger, purchasing, etc.). These functions are overseen by the County Controller, who is appointed by the Board of Commissioners as the County's chief administrative officer. The Health Department is bound by these policies/procedures and rules and utilizes the resources of the Controller's Office to implement all such functions ( that is, human resources, financial Services, purchasing and maintenance, budget and MIS, etc.).
Through its administrative processes, the Board of Commissioners negotiates agreements with several collective bargaining units and establishes a compensation plan for managers and confidential employees. Through these mechanisms, the job titles, classifications, wages and other terms of employment are established for all positions in the Health Department. The Board of Commissioners charges the Controller, and through him, the Human Resources Director with the responsibility of implementing the collective bargaining agreements and the managerial compensation plan. The Health Officer utilizes these documents to employ and direct the staff of the Health Department.
The Board of Commissioners appoints the Ingham County Board of Health. The Board of Health serves as an advisory body, assisting the Health Department staff and the Board of Commissioners.
The Board of Commissioners appoints the Ingham Community Health Center Board. The Community Health Center Board oversees the operation of the network of community health centers operated by the Health Department.
Board of Commissioners/Board of Health/Community Health Center Board/Administrative Staff - 2003
Ingham County Board of Commissioners
Calvin Lynch, Chairperson
Curtis Hertel, Jr., Vice Chairperson
Tom Minter, Vice-Chairperson Pro Tem
Victor Celentino District No.1 Curtis Hertel, Jr. District No.9
Debbie DeLeon District No.2 Mark Grebner District No.10
Tina Weatherwax-Grant District No.3 Dianne Holman District No.11
Chris Swope District No.4 Thomas L. Minter District No.12
Andy Schor District No.5 Randy Schafer District No.13
Calvin Lynch District No.6 John A. Nevin District No.14
Lisa Dedden District No.7 Michael Severino District No.15
Marc Thomas District No.8 Mary Stid District No.16
Human Services Committee (Board of Commissioners)
Tina Weatherwax-Grant, Vice Chairperson
Ingham County Board of Health
Judy Bukovac, Frank DeRose, Timothy Havis, Patricia Hepp, Helen Freeman, Guillermo Lopez, Saturnino Rodriguez, Beth Spyke, Cheryl Streberger
Health Department Administrative Staff
Bruce Bragg, M.P.H., Director
Dean Sienko, M.D., M.S., Medical Director
Bruce Miller, M.P.H., Deputy Director for Health Services
Robert Glandon, Ph.D., Director of Planning and Special Services
F. Robert Godbold, R.S., M.P.A., Director of Environmental Health
John Jacobs, C.P.A., Chief Financial Officer
Ingham Community Health Center Board
Health Department Mandate
The Constitution of the State of Michigan includes the following declaration:
"The public health and general welfare of the people of the State are hereby declared to be matters of primary public concern. The Legislature shall pass suitable laws for the protection and promotion of public health."
In 1978, the Public Health Code was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. The "Code" establishes a State/Local system to carry out the responsibility to protect and promote public health.
The Code establishes the Michigan Department of Public Health with the responsibility to:
". . .continually and diligently endeavor to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote the public health through organized programs, including prevention and control of environmental health hazards; prevention and control of diseases; prevention and control of health problems of particularly vulnerable population groups; development of health care facilities and health services delivery systems; and regulation of health care facilities and health services delivery systems to the extent provided by law."
The Michigan Department of Public Health is charged in the Public Health Code to:
". . .promote an adequate and appropriate system of local health services throughout the state."
The Public Health Code requires every county to provide for a local health department. County Boards of Commissioners are required to organize county or district health departments.
The Public Health Code charges the local health departments with the same basic responsibilities as are given to the State:
"A local health department shall continually and diligently endeavor to prevent disease, prolong life and promote the public health through organized programs, including prevention and control of environmental health hazards, prevention and control of disease; prevention and control of health problems of particularly vulnerable population groups; development of health care facilities and health services delivery systems; and regulation of health care facilities and health care delivery systems to the extent provided by law."
The Ingham County Board of Commissioners has responded to this mandate by establishing the Ingham County Health Department as a Department of Ingham County Government. Each year, through the County budget process and through contracts established with the State, the Board of Commissioners determines which programs and services will be established and maintained to respond to the legal requirements to promote and protect the public health of the citizens of Ingham County.
Table of Organization
Organizational Structure
The Health Department (as shown in the Table of Organization) is organized into four service bureaus and the Disease Control Office. These direct service units are supported by the Director's Office and the Financial Services Unit.
Bruce Bragg, M.P.H. has served as Health Officer and Health Department Director since January 1977. He was appointed by the Board of Commissioners and serves at its pleasure. Dean G. Sienko, M.D., M.S. has served as the Medical Director since December 1988 and is separately appointed by the Board of Commissioners to serve as the Chief Medical Examiner. Dennis Jurczak, M.D., M.P.H. serves as the Deputy Medical Director and Deputy Chief Medical Examiner. These positions, and support staff, provide administrative and medical oversight to the Department's staff, programs and services.
Bruce Miller, M.P.H., serves as the Deputy Director for Health Services. This position manages two of the Department's Bureaus: the Bureau of Community Health Services and the Bureau of Health Plan Management. Mr. Miller also serves as the Acting Director of the Bureau of Community Health Services.
The Bureau Community Health Services is the largest of the Health Department units, with an annual budget of about $15 million and approximately 150 employees. The Bureau operates a network of community health centers serving low-income persons who are Medicaid eligible, uninsured or enrolled in the Ingham Health Plan, the Medical Access Plan or another health benefit program coordinated by the Department. The Bureau is the home of a public health nursing unit and a number of public health categorical programs, such as Family Planning, Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, Hearing and Vision Screening, etc.
The Bureau of Health Plan Management is directed by Laura Peterson, Ph.D. It operates services to provide outreach to the low-income, at-risk community and to work with this community to find health insurance or health benefit programs to provide coverage. Through contracts, the Bureau provides staff support to six community health plan corporations serving ten counties. The Bureau provides the administrative services for health plans that have enrolled more than 25,000 previously uninsured persons into health coverage plans that provide primary care, speciality care physician services, a pharmacy benefit, laboratory services and radiology services. The Bureau also operates the pharmacy discount programs for 22 counties, providing a discounted price for prescription drugs to uninsured persons and those whose health insurance does not provide pharmacy coverage. The Bureau provides outreach, registration and enrollment to low-income, uninsured persons, attempting to assure some health care coverage. It is also the home for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, serving an eight-county region.
The Bureau of Environmental Health directs the Department's programs to prevent and control environmental hazards. The Bureau is managed by Bob Godbold, M.P.A. The Bureau operates three program areas: Planned Programs (which includes the food service sanitation program), Demand Program (including the water supply services and on-site sewage programs) and the Special Projects unit which includes the planning for solid waste management, environmental toxicology, lead and radon services.
The Bureau of Planning and Special Services is directed by Bob Glandon, Ph.D. This Bureau operates the Community Health Assessment and the Health Promotion units which provide support to all of the programs and services of the Department, and to the categorical programs of Office for Young Children, Food Bank and WIC. Much of the effort of this Bureau is directed at engaging the community in learning experiences about the status of health and the causes of disease and disability with an outcome of community planning to improve health status. This Bureau represents the Department's effort to extend beyond direct services and to engage the entire community in learning, strategy development and actions to improve the quality of life.
The Disease Control Office is managed by Judy Williams, BSN, M.P.H.. Ms. Williams reports directly to Dean Sienko, M.D., Medical Director. The Office includes a Communicable Disease Unit and the Immunization Program, which is composed of the Immunization Clinic and also efforts to coordinate community resources and provide outreach to assure high levels of immunization for vaccine preventable diseases.
The Financial Services Unit is managed by John Jacobs, C.P.A. This unit is responsible for operating the financial aspects of the Health Department within the guidance of the County policies/procedures and rules and consistent with contractual grant requirements. The Unit provides Department managers with financial reports necessary to efficiently operate the Department. The Unit also coordinates the internal telephone and computer system support, maintaining liaison with the County MIS Department.