New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Encyclopedia
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) is a department of the Government of New York City
responsible for public health along with issuing birth certificates, dog licenses, and conducting restaurant inspection and enforcement. The current commissioner is Thomas Farley, MD, MPH.
.
According to an online news story article by Sarah Kugler of the Associated Press
that appeared on Friday, October 8, 2010, on the national news page of the Peoria Journal Star
's website, "Using food stamps to buy sodas, teas, sports drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages would not be allowed in New York City under a new government effort to battle obesity. Mayor Michael Bloomberg
and Gov. David Paterson
announced Thursday that they are seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation's food stamp program, to add sugary drinks to the list of prohibited goods for city residents receiving assistance. If approved, it would be the first time an item would be banned from the federal program based solely on nutritional value." The article noted the idea has unsuccessfully been tried before in 2004 in Minnesota and in 2008 in Maine, and that the USDA was considering the matter and its implications for the long-running program.
Government of New York City
The government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The government of New York is more centralized than that of most other U.S...
responsible for public health along with issuing birth certificates, dog licenses, and conducting restaurant inspection and enforcement. The current commissioner is Thomas Farley, MD, MPH.
History
The department was initially set up as the New York City Board of Health, which held its first meeting in 1805 to combat an outbreak of yellow feverYellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
.
According to an online news story article by Sarah Kugler of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
that appeared on Friday, October 8, 2010, on the national news page of the Peoria Journal Star
Peoria Journal Star
The Journal Star is the major daily newspaper for Peoria, Illinois and surrounding area. First owned locally, then employee-owned, it became a Copley-owned entity in 1996. In 2007, the paper was sold to Fairport, New York-based GateHouse Media.-History:...
's website, "Using food stamps to buy sodas, teas, sports drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages would not be allowed in New York City under a new government effort to battle obesity. Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Gov. David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
announced Thursday that they are seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation's food stamp program, to add sugary drinks to the list of prohibited goods for city residents receiving assistance. If approved, it would be the first time an item would be banned from the federal program based solely on nutritional value." The article noted the idea has unsuccessfully been tried before in 2004 in Minnesota and in 2008 in Maine, and that the USDA was considering the matter and its implications for the long-running program.
Organization
- Metropolitan Board of HealthMetropolitan Board of HealthThe New York City Metropolitan Board of Health was the first modern municipal public health authority in the United States. It was founded in 1866 by the New York Academy of Medicine, following a campaign led by Dr. Stephen Smith...
- Commissioner of Health
- General Counsel
- Chief Medical Examiner
- Executive Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene
- Alcohol and Drug Treatment
- Child and Adolescent Services
- Mental Health
- Developmental Disabilities
- Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control
- Communicable Diseases
- HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control
- Immunization
- Public Health Laboratory
- STD Prevention and Control
- Tuberculosis Control
- Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health
- Environmental Disease Prevention
- Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Environmental Sciences and Engineering
- Environmental Surveillance and Policy
- Food Safety and Community Sanitation
- Poison Control Center
- Veterinary and Pest Control
- Deputy Commissioner for Epidemiology
- Epidemiology Services
- Public Health Training
- Deputy Commissioner for Healthcare Access and Improvement
- Correctional Health Services
- Forensic and Behavioral Health Services
- Health Insurance Programs
- Oral Health
- Deputy Commissioner for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Chronic Disease Control
- District Public Health Program
- Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health
- Minority Health
- School Health
- Tobacco Control
- Deputy Commissioner for Administration
- Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Planning
- Deputy Commissioner and Chief Information Officer
- Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene