§ 130A-1.1. Mission and essential services. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 130A‑1.1.  Mission andessential services.

(a)        The GeneralAssembly recognizes that unified purpose and direction of the public healthsystem is necessary to ensure that all citizens in the State have equal accessto essential public health services. The General Assembly declares that themission of the public health system is to promote and contribute to the highestlevel of health possible for the people of North Carolina by:

(1)        Preventing healthrisks and disease;

(2)        Identifying andreducing health risks in the community;

(3)        Detecting,investigating, and preventing the spread of disease;

(4)        Promoting healthylifestyles;

(5)        Promoting a safe andhealthful environment;

(6)        Promoting theavailability and accessibility of quality health care services through theprivate sector; and

(7)        Providing qualityhealth care services when not otherwise available.

(b)        As used in thissection, the term "essential public health services" means thoseservices that the State shall ensure because they are essential to promotingand contributing to the highest level of health possible for the citizens ofNorth Carolina. The Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Healthand Human Services shall attempt to ensure within the resources available tothem that the following essential public health services are available andaccessible to all citizens of the State, and shall account for the financing ofthese services:

(1)        Health Support:

a.         Assessment of healthstatus, health needs, and environmental risks to health;

b.         Patient andcommunity education;

c.         Public healthlaboratory;

d.         Registration ofvital events;

e.         Quality improvement;and

(2)        EnvironmentalHealth:

a.         Lodging andinstitutional sanitation;

b.         On‑sitedomestic sewage disposal;

c.         Water and food safetyand sanitation; and

(3)        Personal Health:

a.         Child health;

b.         Chronic diseasecontrol;

c.         Communicable diseasecontrol;

d.         Dental publichealth;

e.         Family planning;

f.          Health promotionand risk reduction;

g.         Maternal health; and

(4)        Public HealthPreparedness.

The Commission for PublicHealth shall determine specific services to be provided under each of theessential public health services categories listed above.

(c)        The GeneralAssembly recognizes that there are health‑related services currentlyprovided by State and local government and the private sector that areimportant to maintaining a healthy social and ecological environment but thatare not included on the list of essential public health services required underthis section. Omission of these services from the list of essential publichealth services shall not be construed as an intent to prohibit or decreasetheir availability. Rather, such omission means only that the omitted servicesmay be more appropriately assured by government agencies or private entitiesother than the public health system.

(d)        The list ofessential public health services required by this section shall not beconstrued to limit or restrict the powers and duties of the Commission forPublic Health or the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources andHealth and Human Services as otherwise conferred by State law.  (1991, c. 299, s. 1; 1997‑443,s. 11A.54; 2007‑182, s. 2; 2009‑442, s. 1.)