Title: Section 40-2.10 - Family health; performance standards

Section 40-2.10 Family health; performance standards

(a) The local health department shall maintain a family health program designed to achieve the following goals:

(1) improve the health of persons under the age of 21, including children with special health care needs;

(2) increase the proportion of persons under the age of 21 who receive comprehensive well child primary and preventive care, including oral health care;

(3) improve birth outcomes, decrease maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, and increase the number of pregnant and postpartum women who receive early, continuous and comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care, including oral health care, and other supportive services to address risks and needs; and

(4) decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies, increase optimal spacing of pregnancies, decrease the prevalence and morbidity of sexually transmitted disease, and improve availability and accessibility of comprehensive reproductive health care and family planning services to men and women of reproductive age.

(b) To be eligible for State Aid, the local health department shall conduct public health activities in the following areas:

(1) Child Health;

(2) Maternal and Infant Health; and

(3) Reproductive Health.

(c) The activities required under this subdivision (b) of this section shall include, at a minimum:

(1) utilization of available public health data and information to shape strategies related to child health, maternal and infant health and reproductive health, including:

(i) using available data from

the community health assessment, other local assessments, and local knowledge;

(ii) identifying communities and/or neighborhoods where children, women and families are potentially in need of services;

(iii) identifying any specific local factors that influence children's health status, health care needs, maternal and infant birth outcomes, unintended pregnancy, and use of reproductive health care services; and

(iv) assess currently available services;

(2) public health marketing and communication, including developing or adapting public education materials or campaigns, and promoting and disseminating such materials or campaigns, to:

(i) promote the use of comprehensive health care services for children, women and families;

(ii) promote healthy behaviors, including the preconception, prenatal, postpartum and interconception periods; and

(iii) reduce risk factors associated with poor maternal and infant outcomes, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases and related health disparities;

(3) information, referral and assistance to women and families in accessing and effectively utilizing available services;

(4) outreach, education, training and technical assistance for health and human service providers, designed to improve the delivery of comprehensive primary and preventive care to women and families, including, at least one annual communication to health care providers on health data and interventions related to family health;

(5) efforts with multiple sectors in the community to promote policy, environmental and systems change to address population and community level factors that influence child health outcomes and use of health care services, birth outcomes, and reproductive health outcomes and services; and

(6) activities to identify uninsured women and families and to provide such persons, either directly or through referral, with assistance with enrollment in health insurance coverage and comprehensive prenatal care, child health care, primary care services, and reproductive health services.