The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is a cabinet-level agency, meaning the director reports to the governor and serves as a member of the Executive Branch of Ohio’s government. The ODH executive team helps the Director of Health formulate the agency’s strategic policy goals and objectives. The team is composed of the Chief of Staff, the Medical Director and the General Counsel. These leaders, along with agency senior-level managers and supervisors, work in tandem to ensure the state health department is responsive to the needs of Ohio’s 11.5 million residents.
ODH’s mission is "Advancing the health and well-being of all Ohioans."
We organize our agency according to our core public health responsibilities:
Prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases (Bureau of Infectious Diseases)
Provide direction, support and coordination in preventing, preparing for and responding to events that threaten the public’s health (Bureau of Health Preparedness)
Build strong communities to enable Ohioans of all ages and abilities live disease and injury-free (Bureau of Health Preparedness)
Build strong communities to enable Ohioans of all ages and abilities to live disease and injury-free (Bureau of Health Improvement and Wellness)
Address health inequities and disparities, and support access to comprehensive, integrated healthcare for all to achieve the best possible outcomes (Office of Performance and Innovation)
Assess and monitor environmental factors that potentially impact public health including air, water, soil, food and physical and social features of our surroundings (Bureau of Environmental Health and Radiation Protection)
Assure quality in health care facilities, health care services, and environmental health through smart regulation to protect the health and safety of Ohioans (Bureau of Survey and Certification)
Additionally, there are several offices and bureaus within the agency that assist with internal and external operations. These include:
Office of the Director/Medical Director - Serves as the lead clinician for the Ohio Department of Health and advises the director and agency in all matters related to public health and the development and implementation of statewide public health policies and programs.
Bureau of Maternal, Child and Family Health – organized effort to eliminate health disparities, improve birth outcomes and improve the health status of women, infants, children, youth and families in Ohio. Using evidenced-based and data driven practices, the bureau supports the delivery of direct services, linkages and referrals, population-based supports, education, monitoring and quality oversight, and policy and systems development.
Bureau of Vital Statistics - operates a statewide system for the registration of births, deaths, fetal deaths, and other “vital records.” The vital record statistics are used to assess population health and inform public health programs provided by ODH, local health departments and other providers across Ohio.
ODH Public Health Laboratory - assists the agency, local health departments, and clinicians across Ohio in disease outbreak investigations, public health emergencies, and identification of disease causes to aid in treatment and prevention. Its services include screening for diseases of public health interest, reference support for confirmation of low incidence infectious agents, laboratory investigation to determine epidemiological patterns, and oversight of the state’s alcohol breath testing program.
Office of Management Information Systems - administers the computer-based management systems across the ODH enterprise. The office is responsible for maintaining ODH computer networks and servers and for the development and implementation of strategies that support the current and future technology needs of the agency.
Office of Human Resources - oversees the management of ODH’s human resource needs through daily operations.
Office of Financial Affairs - assists in the establishment of ODH’s long and short-range fiscal goals and objectives. The office provides the agency with the overall fiscal administration support through its various unit operations including accounting, purchasing, budgeting and grants administration. The office oversees the department’s Compliance and Accountability Unit and biennial budget process; provides technical assistance to agency decision-makers and provides daily monitoring and analysis of agency spending trends.
Office of Government Affairs - directs and coordinates legislative affairs for ODH and develops policies and procedures to promote the department’s legislative agenda. The office is the primary liaison for the agency in working with the Ohio legislature and with all federal, state and local elected officials.
Office of Communications - responsible for the development of all ODH internal and external communication strategies. Its primary functions include media relations, public relations and marketing. The office leverages mass and social media channels to ensure the general public has immediate access to critical public health information.
Office of General Counsel - assists the Director of Health in defining agency goals and objectives by overseeing and coordinating all ODH legal activities. Its primary responsibilities include negotiating, developing and advocating the legal and legislative positions of the department.
