43.70.580 - Public health improvement plan -- Funds -- Performance-based contracts -- Rules -- Evaluation and report.

Public health improvement plan — Funds — Performance-based contracts — Rules — Evaluation and report.

The primary responsibility of the public health system, is to take those actions necessary to protect, promote, and improve the health of the population. In order to accomplish this, the department shall:

     (1) Identify, as part of the public health improvement plan, the key health outcomes sought for the population and the capacity needed by the public health system to fulfill its responsibilities in improving health outcomes.

     (2)(a) Distribute state funds that, in conjunction with local revenues, are intended to improve the capacity of the public health system. The distribution methodology shall encourage system-wide effectiveness and efficiency and provide local health jurisdictions with the flexibility both to determine governance structures and address their unique needs.

     (b) Enter into with each local health jurisdiction performance-based contracts that establish clear measures of the degree to which the local health jurisdiction is attaining the capacity necessary to improve health outcomes. The contracts negotiated between the local health jurisdictions and the department of health must identify the specific measurable progress that local health jurisdictions will make toward achieving health outcomes. A community assessment conducted by the local health jurisdiction according to the public health improvement plan, which shall include the results of the comprehensive plan prepared according to RCW 70.190.130, will be used as the basis for identifying the health outcomes. The contracts shall include provisions to encourage collaboration among local health jurisdictions. State funds shall be used solely to expand and complement, but not to supplant city and county government support for public health programs.

     (3) Develop criteria to assess the degree to which capacity is being achieved and ensure compliance by public health jurisdictions.

     (4) Adopt rules necessary to carry out the purposes of chapter 43, Laws of 1995.

     (5) Biennially, within the public health improvement plan, evaluate the effectiveness of the public health system, assess the degree to which the public health system is attaining the capacity to improve the status of the public's health, and report progress made by each local health jurisdiction toward improving health outcomes.

[1995 c 43 § 3.]

Notes: Effective dates -- Contingent effective dates -- 1995 c 43: See note following RCW 70.05.030.

Severability -- 1995 c 43: See note following RCW 43.70.570.