County Board Approves Public Health Plan

Final approval to the Washtenaw County public health plan – mandated by the state of Michigan – was given at the March 20, 2013 meeting of the county board of commissioners. The board gave initial approval at its meeting on March 6, 2013. [.pdf plan of organization]

State law requires that the county submit a plan of organization every three years to the Michigan Dept. of Public Health. The 103-page document outlines the county health department’s legal responsibilities and authority; the department’s organization, vision, mission and values statement; community partnerships; services, locations and hours of operation; reporting and evaluation procedures; and procedures for approving the county’s health officer and medical director. In Washtenaw County, the health officer is Dick Fleece. Alice Penrose serves as medical director.

Approval of the health plan is part of the state’s accreditation process for public health departments, which was put in place in 2004.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]