Who is a “local health director” and what is his or her role?
Each type of local public health agency must have a director, who serves as the administrative head of the agency and exercises legal powers and duties prescribed by law. The term “local health director” includes the director of a county health department, a district health department, or a public health authority, as well as the director of a consolidated human services agency or his or her designee.[1]
The director of a county health department, a district health department, or a public health authority must meet minimum education and experience requirements that are set out in state law. In general, the director must have education and experience in medicine, public health, or public administration related to health.[2] The director of a consolidated human services agency (CHSA) is not required by statute to meet particular education or experience requirements. However, if the director of a CHSA that provides public health services does not meet the statutory qualifications for a local health director, he or she must appoint a person who does.[3]
[1] The inclusion of a director of a consolidated human services agency requires some explanation. The term “local health director” is defined by statute to mean “the administrative head of a local health department appointed pursuant to this Chapter.” The same statute defines “local health department” as “a district health department or a public health authority or a county health department.” G.S. 130A-2. Although these definitions do not capture consolidated human services agencies and directors, a separate statute assigns local public health roles to the agency by: (1) giving the agency “the responsibility to carry out the duties of a local health department”; (2) providing that the consolidated human services board “shall have all the powers and duties of a local board of health” except for appointing the director and transmitting or presenting the budget for local health services; and (3) stating that “a human services director shall have all the powers and duties of a local health director provided under G.S. 130A-41,” except that the human services director’s activities in managing the department are subject to the oversight of the county manager, and the human services director may appoint agency staff only with the county manager’s approval. G.S. 130A-43.
[2] G.S. 130A-40 (county and district health departments); 130A-45.4 (public health authorities).
[3] G.S. 153A-77(e)(9).
