N.J. Admin. Code § 8:52-5.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 9, May 6, 2024

Section 8:52-5.2 - Management and leadership

(a) Planning is one of the fundamental responsibilities of a licensed health officer who functions as the chief executive officer of a local health agency. Planning relies on the ability to collect and analyze information, to communicate with superiors, peers and subordinates and to make decisions and take action. The "Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health" (see 8:52-1.8(a)5 ) is a management tool developed to assist the public health manager in evaluating his or her own agency's strengths and weaknesses. Using this information, the manager is equipped to accurately portray the capabilities his or her agency brings to a countywide public health system and to take actions that will improve the agency's performance.

1. Each health officer shall actively participate in and be responsible for the joint development of a countywide or multi-countywide Community Health Profile, Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement.

2. Each health officer shall notify the Office of Local Health of the name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address of his or her designees.

3. Each health officer shall be responsible for the completion of an evaluation of the capacity of his or her local health agency in accordance with the process set forth in "Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health." The evaluation shall be used to identify the capacity of the local health agency to deliver the services set forth in this chapter and to provide the information necessary to develop the Community Health Improvement Plan. An evaluation shall be conducted at least once every three years.

4. Each health officer shall be responsible for the development of goals and objectives for each program conducted by the local health agency and the development of a continuous quality improvement process to ensure progress in achieving the local health agency's goals.

i. Each goal and objective shall include a timeline and be realistic, measurable, and consistent with current public health practice and/or Department program policies and guidelines.

ii. Each goal and objective shall be consistent with priority public health problems identified through the countywide Community Health Improvement Plan and any other Statewide public health priorities as determined by the Department.

iii. Each goal and objective shall be consistent with the "10 essential public health services," at N.J.A.C 8:52-3.2(a)1 through 10.

5. Each health officer shall develop an internal monitoring plan that measures progress in achieving each of the local health agency's goals and objectives.

i. Monitoring shall be performed, at a minimum, on a semi-annual basis; and

ii. Monitoring data shall be used to document whether expected objectives are achieved to provide information regarding the implementation of objectives, and to modify activities to improve the achievement of objectives.

6. Each health officer shall develop an improvement plan to address performance deficiencies which are revealed during the Continuous Quality Improvement process.

(b) The ability to organize information and resources is also a fundamental responsibility of an administrative manager. The ability to assess staff competencies and to match those competencies with the appropriate tasks and activities is key to agency performance and goal attainment. A competent manager must be able to determine lines of authority within his or her agency and set forth business practices that are appropriate to the capabilities of the organization.

1. Each health officer shall ensure that the local health agency's resources are organized to promote the health outcomes identified through the countywide or multi-countywide Community Health Improvement Plan.

2. Each health officer shall ensure that competent leadership is assigned responsibility for each major activity and core responsibility.

3. Each health officer shall ensure that the local health agency prepares and has on file a current table of organization which depicts reporting relationships within the local health agency.

(c) The practice of public health, like the practice of medicine from which it derives, relies heavily upon licensure and certification to assure quality services and to protect the public against the services of untrained or incompetent individuals. The practice of medicine literally puts individual people's lives in the hands of the physician. The practice of public health puts the lives and quality of life of populations and communities in the hands of public health professionals. Therefore, it is important that these professionals are also trained and licensed in the disciplines of health science and public health. In addition, it is important for a manager to recruit, retain and develop his or her staff. The publications referenced below provide an organized approach to building staff competencies and developing staff.

1. Each health officer shall ensure that all professional public health staff who require licensure, certification, or authorization to perform their activities shall be currently licensed, certified, or authorized under the appropriate laws or rules of the State of New Jersey or under the applicable standards of the appropriate body.

2. Each health officer shall ensure that all public health staff receive adequate training for the activities they are expected to perform. Training shall be in accordance with the professional licensing requirements and/or state and/or national standards for each public health program. Each health officer shall determine that professional public health staff have obtained continuing education in accordance with the provisions set forth at N.J.A.C. 8:52-8.

i. A plan for staff knowledge and competency development shall be developed and shall meet the standards described in "Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health," incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented. See 8:52-1.8(a)5.

ii. Staff competencies shall meet the standards described in "The Public Health Workforce: An Agenda for the 21st Century" and the "Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals." See 8:52-1.8(a)3 and 4.

3. Each health officer shall ensure that all professional public health staff who require licensure, certification, or authorization to perform their activities shall perform within the scope of their license, certificate, or authority as set forth under the appropriate laws or rules of the State of New Jersey or under the applicable standards of the appropriate body.

4. Each local board of health shall ensure that its local health agency and health officer meet all of the requirements of this chapter.

(d) Each health officer shall ensure appropriate coordination and response to public health problems that follow established scientific guidelines within his or her area of jurisdiction as directed and/or coordinated by the Department.

(e) Each health officer shall have access to a financial officer for assistance in managing and overseeing all public health budgets. The financial officer shall assist in ensuring the fiscal integrity of public health finances and that such procedures are in accordance with professionally accepted standards of accounting and auditing.

(f) The ability for a manager to evaluate his or her staff and agency performance is essential to assuring success in meeting the agency's mission and goals. Evaluation is also essential for assuring the prudent use of precious resources and for maximizing cost benefits. Reporting the results of evaluation processes and other important information is a key communication responsibility. Communication is a critical ingredient for success and a public health administrative manager must have to the skills to communicate effectively to superiors, subordinates, professional peers and the public.

1. Each health officer shall report local board of health performance data as required in the Local Health Evaluation Report.

2. The Local Health Evaluation Report shall be completed annually and in accordance with the format developed and promulgated by the Office of Local Health. It shall be filed with the Office of Local Health no later than February 15 of the year succeeding the year for which the performance is being reported.

3. The following information shall be reported and shall conform to the reporting schedule set forth herein and shall include:

i. Registration of the local board of health pursuant to 8:52-1.5;

ii. Information and data regarding a local health agency's capacity as set forth at 8:52-3.3 and 5.2(a), above;

iii. Information and data regarding specialized regional expertise and capacity as set forth at 8:52-3.4;

iv. Information regarding workforce assessment as set forth at 8:52-8.2(a);

v. Training of each local board of health member as set forth at 8:52-8.2(b);

vi. Evaluation of each community's public health partnerships effectiveness as set forth at 8:52-9.2(d);

vii. County Health Status Indicators Report as set forth at 8:52-10.2(c) and (e);

viii. Community health planning information as set forth at N.J.A.C. 8:52-11;

ix. Community Health Improvement Plan as set forth at 8:52-11.2(f)4; and

x. Epidemiological, economic, and health services research findings as set forth at N.J.A.C. 8:52-15.

4. Each local health agency shall report all diseases, threats, and emergencies in accordance with all applicable State and Federal laws as set forth at 8:52-5.2(f)3.

(g) Rapid advances in communication technologies are making it possible to be more knowledgeable and current in the practice of public health. The practice of public health relies on scientific capabilities to study, investigate and understand the determinants of health. Based upon an organized scientific collection and analysis of data and information, preventive strategies are developed and communicated to the populations at risk. Modern public health practitioners must be able to use electronic tools and become integrated in an evolving state health information network that will allow them access to real time information upon which to take appropriate actions.

1. Each local health agency shall be part of a Statewide public health information and communication system. This shall include maintaining a link via the Internet with the New Jersey Local Information Network and Communications System (LINCS).

2. Each local health agency shall participate in information sharing and data interchange with the Department.

3. Each local health agency shall use LINCS to:

i. Report all diseases and threats to the public health to the Department in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations. Electronic reporting shall be contingent upon the development of electronic reporting systems;

ii. Immediately report to the Department all emergencies that threaten the health or safety of the citizens in its jurisdiction; and

iii. Monitor LINCS e-mail twice per day, at the beginning and at the end of the workday.

(h) Each local health agency shall have access to an attorney licensed to practice in New Jersey for assistance in interpreting, developing, and/or guiding the enforcement of public health laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances.

(i) Records which are required by this chapter shall be maintained in accordance with State record retention standards as promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Education, Bureau of Archives and History, at 15:3-3.8.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:52-5.2