SB 192

Abstract

Local health director; qualifications. Amends the qualification requirements for local health directors to provide that a person may be a local health director if he possess a master's or doctoral degree in the area of public health and has at least three years of professional experience in a full-time position in either a public health agency or public health-related position or is otherwise qualified for the position as determined by the Commissioner of Health. Currently, only a person who is a physician licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth may be a local health director. The bill provides that if a local health director is not a physician licensed to practice medicine and there is no licensed physician on staff, the local health director shall enter into a consulting agreement with a licensed physician to execute prescribing duties, consult on clinical matters, and perform all other duties as requested.

Local health director; qualifications. Amends the qualification requirements for local health directors to permit local health directors to possess a master's or doctoral degree in the area of public health and have at least three years of professional experience in a full-time position in either a public health agency or public health-related position, or be otherwise qualified for the position as determined by the Commissioner of Health, as an alternative to the current requirement that local health directors be physicians licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth. The bill states that if a local health director is not a physician licensed to practice medicine and there is no licensed physician on staff, the local health director shall enter into a consulting agreement with a licensed physician to execute prescribing duties, consult on clinical matters, and perform all other duties as requested.

Local health director; qualifications. Allowslocal health directors to possess a Doctor of Public Health degree,a Master of Public Health degree, or a doctoral degree in the areaof public health as an alternative to the current requirement thatlocal health directors be physicians licensed to practice medicinein the Commonwealth.