Oklahoma State Department of Health
Encyclopedia
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 essential human services. OSDH serves as the primary public health
protection agency in the state.
The Department is led by a State Board of Health, composed of nine members appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
. The Board in turn appoints the State Commissioner of Health, who serves as the executive officer of the Department and is the lead public health authority in the state.
The 20th and current Commissioner of Health is Dr. Terry Cline
, Ph.D., who was appointed by the Board on June 30, 2009. Governor Mary Fallin
appointed Cline to served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services
in 2011 in addition to his duties as Health Commissioner.
The Department was created in 1963 during the term of Governor Henry Bellmon
.
and the Commissioner of Health. Under Governor of Oklahoma
Mary Fallin
, Dr. Terry Cline
is both the Cabinet Secretary and the Commissioner.
with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
. Each Board member serves a nine-year term. Eight of the nine members represent specific county regions of the state and one member is appointed to represent the state at large.
As of 2010, the Board is composed of the following members:
as the State Health Commissioner in 2009, the State Health Department was divided into five service branches: Administrative Services, Community Health Services, Family Health Services, Disease & Prevention Services and Protective Health Services. Since taking over the Department, Commissioner Cline has streamlined the organization into four divisions: Administrative Services, Protective Health Services, Community & Family Health Services, and Prevention & Prepardeness Services.
The Department provide technical support and guidance to the 68 county health departments as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health
Oklahoma Secretary of Health
The Oklahoma Secretary of Health is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public health issues and...
. The Department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other essential human services. OSDH serves as the primary public health
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" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
protection agency in the state.
The Department is led by a State Board of Health, composed of nine members appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
. The Board in turn appoints the State Commissioner of Health, who serves as the executive officer of the Department and is the lead public health authority in the state.
The 20th and current Commissioner of Health is Dr. Terry Cline
Terry Cline
Dr. Terry L. Cline, Ph. D., is an American psychologist and public health policy specialist from Oklahoma. Cline is currently serving in the dual position of Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health...
, Ph.D., who was appointed by the Board on June 30, 2009. Governor Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
appointed Cline to served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services
Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services
The Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor...
in 2011 in addition to his duties as Health Commissioner.
The Department was created in 1963 during the term of Governor Henry Bellmon
Henry Bellmon
Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings...
.
Leadership
The Department is led by the Secretary of Health and Human ServicesOklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services
The Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor...
and the Commissioner of Health. Under Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
, Dr. Terry Cline
Terry Cline
Dr. Terry L. Cline, Ph. D., is an American psychologist and public health policy specialist from Oklahoma. Cline is currently serving in the dual position of Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health...
is both the Cabinet Secretary and the Commissioner.
State Board of Health
The State Board of Health is the governing body of the Health Department. The Board is composed of nine members appointed by the Governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
. Each Board member serves a nine-year term. Eight of the nine members represent specific county regions of the state and one member is appointed to represent the state at large.
As of 2010, the Board is composed of the following members:
| Name | Region | Board position |
|---|---|---|
| Jenny Alexopulos, D.O | Ottawa, Delaware, Craig, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Washington, Tulsa, Pawnee, and Osage counties | President |
| R. Murali Krishna, MD | Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, McClain, Garvin, Murray and Payne counties | Vice President |
| Cris Hart-Wolfe | Ellis, Dewey, Custer, Roger Mills, Beckham, Washita, Kiowa, Greer, Jackson, Harmon, and Tillman counties | Secretary-Treasurer |
| Michael D. Anderson, PhD | State at-large | |
| Alfred Baldwin Jr | Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Woodward, Woods, Major, Alfalfa, Grant, Garfield, Kay and Noble counties | |
| Richard G. Davis, DDS | Pottawatomie, Creek, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Seminole, Pontotoc, Hughes, Johnson, and Coal counties | |
| Kenneth Miller, MD | LeFlore, Latimer, Pittsburg, Atoka, Pushmataha, McCurtain, Choctaw, Bryan, Marshall, Carter, and Love counties | |
| Barry L. Smith, J.D. | Adair, Sequoyah, Cherokee, Wagoner, Muskogee, Haskell, McIntosh, and Okmulgee counties | |
| Ronald Woodson, M.D. | Blaine, Kingfisher, Canadian, Caddo, Grady, Comanche, Jefferson, Stephens, and Cotton counties |
Organization
Prior to the appointment of Terry ClineTerry Cline
Dr. Terry L. Cline, Ph. D., is an American psychologist and public health policy specialist from Oklahoma. Cline is currently serving in the dual position of Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health...
as the State Health Commissioner in 2009, the State Health Department was divided into five service branches: Administrative Services, Community Health Services, Family Health Services, Disease & Prevention Services and Protective Health Services. Since taking over the Department, Commissioner Cline has streamlined the organization into four divisions: Administrative Services, Protective Health Services, Community & Family Health Services, and Prevention & Prepardeness Services.
The Department provide technical support and guidance to the 68 county health departments as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
- Office of the Commissioner - led by the Commissioner of Health, immediate staff of the Commissioner and provides policy direction for Department and support to State Board of Health
- Office of the General Counsel
- Office of State and Federal Health Policy
- Office of Communications
- Office of Administrative Hearings
- Office of Performance Management
- Office of Accountability Systems
- Internal Audit Unit
- Center for Health Services
- Administrative Services - led by a Chief Operating Officer, provides central administrative service to support the Department, such a personnel management, budgeting, purchasing, and building management
- Accounting Services
- Budget and Funding
- Building Management and Internal Services
- Procurement
- Federal Funds Development
- Information Technology
- Office of Human Resources
- Community and Family Health Services - led by a Deputy Commissioner, coordinating the county-level service delivery system of county health departments as well as protecting and promoting the health of Oklahoma's women, children and families
- County Health Department Administrators
- Nursing Service
- Community Development Service
- Record Evaluation and Support
- Family Support & Prevention Service
- Child Guidance Service
- Dental Health Service
- Maternal and Child Health Service
- Screening, Special Services and SoonerStart
- WIC Service
- Prevention and Preparedness Services - led by a Deputy Commissioner, monitors the distribution of, and provides services related to the control of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, cancer and injuries
- Acute Disease Service
- Chronic Disease Service
- HIV/STD Service
- Immunization Service
- Injury Prevention Service
- Emergency Preparedness and Response Service
- Tobacco Use Prevention Service
- Public Health Laboratory Service
- Protective Health Services - led by a Deputy Commissioner, provide regulatory oversight of the state's health care delivery service through a system of inspection, licensure and certification as well as several other trades and professions
- Long Term Care Service
- Health Resources Development Service
- Medical Facilities Service
- Consumer Health Service
- Quality Improvement and Evaluation Service
Staffing
The Health Department, with an annual budget of well over $300 million, is one of the largest employers of the State. For fiscal year 2011, the Department was authorized 2,368 full time employees.| Division | Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| Support Services | 333 |
| Disease and Prevention Services | 237 |
| Family Health Services | 238 |
| Community Health Services | 1288 |
| Protective Health Services | 272 |
| Total | 2,368 |
Budget
The divisions of the Department operation with the following operating budgets for Fiscal Year 2010:| Program | Funding (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Support Services | $42 |
| Diease and Prevention Services | $70 |
| Family Health | $134 |
| Community Health Services | $102 |
| Protective Health Services | $55 |
| Total | $405 |
Supporting Agencies
- Alarm Industry Committee
- State Barber Advisory Board
- Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment Advisory Committee
- Office of Child Abuse Prevention
- Interagency Child Abuse Prevention Task Force
- Child Abuse Training & Coordination Council
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Council
- Licensed Professional Counselors Advisory Board
- Dental Health Service
- Driver’s License Medical Advisory Committee
- Emergency Response Systems Development Advisory Council
- Health Care Information Advisory Committee
- Hearing Aid Advisory Council
- Home Health Advisory Board
- Hospice Advisory Council
- Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board
- Licensed Marital & Family Therapists Advisory Board
- Medical Audit Committee
- Organ Donor Education & Awareness Program Advisory Council
- Interagency Council on Osteoporosis
- Radiation Advisory Committee
- Residents and Family State Council
- Sanitarian & Environmental Specialist Registration Advisory Council
- Vision Screening Standards Advisory Committee