Health Department

Responsibilities of health officers at local, State and Federal levels continue to increase and the high priorities remain continued education for both personnel and the public and disaster preparedness.

Core Functions of Public Health and How They Relate to the 10 Essential Services

This page and graphic show how the ten essential environmental health services align with the three core functions of public health (assessment, policy development, and assurance).

Assessment

1. Monitor environmental and health status to identify and solve community environmental health problems
2. Diagnose and investigate environmental health problems and health hazards in the community

Policy Development

3. Inform, educate, and empower people about environmental health issues
4. Mobilize community partnerships and actions to identify and solve environmental health problems
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community environmental health efforts

Assurance

6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect environmental health and ensure safety
7. Link people to needed environmental health services and assure the provision of environmental health services when otherwise unavailable
8. Assure a competent environmental health workforce
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based environmental health services
10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to environmental health problems