Last updated May 2021

Focus of the agency the Agency for Health Care Administration

from wiki

The Florida Department of Health is responsible for protecting the public health and safety of the residents and visitors of the state of Florida. It is a cabinet-level agency of the state government, headed by a state surgeon general who reports to the governor. The department has its headquarters in Tallahassee.^[1]

During the 1996 legislative session, the beleaguered Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services was reconstructed as two entities: the Department of Health and the Florida Department of Children and Families.^[2]

The Florida Department of Health operates county health departments in all 67 of the state’s counties. The agency employs more than 17,000 persons. It has worked on two-year-old immunizations, tobacco control, and statewide preparedness response efforts.

From the agency

The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) was established by the Florida Legislature in 1996; however, public health has its roots in Florida dating back to 1888 with the creation of the Florida State Board of Health. In 2007, the first-ever State Surgeon General was established to spearhead the efforts of FDOH, thereby designating a health officer to oversee all matters of public health. The Surgeon General’s role is to be the state’s leading advocate for wellness and disease prevention.

FDOH is an executive branch agency, established in section 20.43, F.S. FDOH is led by a State Surgeon General, who serves as the State Health Officer and is directly appointed by Florida’s Governor, and confirmed by Florida’s Senate. FDOH has three deputy secretaries that oversee all of its business and programmatic operations.

FDOH is comprised of a state health office (central office) in Tallahassee, with statewide responsibilities; Florida’s 67 County Health Departments (CHDs); 22 Children’s Medical Services (CMS) area offices; 12 Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) regional offices; nine Disability Determinations regional offices; and three public health laboratories. Facilities for the 67 CHDs are provided through partnerships with local county governments. These 67 CHDs have a total of 255 sites throughout the state, providing a variety of services, and ranging from small to large in location size.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/about/index.html