Agency: Health

Line Item: Executive Director's Operations

Function

The Executive Director's Operations include those functions of the Department of Health that provide overall direction of policy, management, and administrative support to the divisions, offices, and programs of the Department. This organizational line item also includes the Center for Health Data and the Office of Internal Audit.

Statutory Authority

The Utah Health Code in Title 26 of the Utah Code governs the Executive Director's Operations.

• UCA 26-1-8 through 26-1-17 details the qualifications and powers of the executive director of the Department.
• UCA 26-2 creates the Vital Statistics Act which is the State's repository of birth and death certificates.
• UCA 26-3 empowers the Department to collect and maintain health data and utilize that data for analytical purposes.
• UCA 26-18a creates the Kurt Oscarson Children's Organ Transplant Coordinating Committee with the purpose of providing interest-free loans or grants for children facing organ transplants.
• UCA 26-18b creates the Organ Donation Contribution Fund which promotes and supports organ donations through a statewide registry and donor awareness education.
• UCA 26-28 establishes criteria for organ donations and how those affect the Medical Examiner.
• UCA 26-33a is the Utah Health Data Authority Act and also creates the Health Data Committee which uses the data collected through UCA 26-3.

Intent Language

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that appropriations provided for Executive Director's Office in Item 1 of Chapter 4 Laws of Utah 2011 not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2012. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to $90,000 for computer equipment, software, and employee training.

Special Funds

Kurt Oscarson Organ Transplant Account is a General Fund Restricted account to assist families with some of the ancillary expenses involved with an organ transplant. The account does not pay for transplants. A check off on the Utah State Income Tax Form funds the account. The five-member coordinating committee, established in UCA 26-18a, may award financial assistance to eligible families. The committee establishes terms of repayment, which may include a waiver of repayment. In addition to the financial assistance, the committee has approved expenditures for marketing and public awareness campaigns, and for membership dues to Intermountain Organ Recovery. The code requires the committee to make an annual report to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.

Organ Donation Contribution Fund is a restricted special revenue fund used to promote and support organ donation, assist in maintaining an organ donation registry, and provide donor awareness education. Funds come through voluntary contributions during the motor vehicle registration and driver license processes. A five-member committee oversees the fund and authorizes expenditures. The code requires an annual report on fund activities to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.

Funding Detail

For analysis of current budget requests and discussion of issues related to this budget click here.

Program: Executive Director

Function

The Office of the Executive Director is responsible for the overall direction of policy and management of the Utah Department of Health. The following administrative support functions also report to this office:

• Legal Counsel -- Provides legal counsel and support, drafts administrative rules, conducts administrative hearings, and coordinates the Department's Legislative affairs.
• Employee Development -- Provides personnel support services throughout the Department.
• Policy Support -- Facilitates public health strategic and operational planning as well as coordinates issues and programs of local health departments with the Department of Health.
• Public Information -- Releases public health information to the media.

Funding Detail

Program: Center for Health Data

Function

The Center for Health Data manages, analyzes, and provides appropriate access to strategic information resources that support Utah's public health. The operating units of the Center are the Offices of Health Care Statistics, Public Health Assessment, Vital Records and Statistics, and Public Health Informatics. The mission of the Center is to:

1. Provide accurate, timely health information to monitor health status.
2. Assess the performance of the health care system.
3. Identify health threats.
4. Document health events.
5. Guide health decisions.

The program implements this mission through the following functions:

• Registering, preserving, and certifying the State's vital records
• Collecting, tabulating, analyzing, and publishing vital statistics and other health status and health system statistical reports
• Providing health indicators to businesses and the public over the internet as an e-government service
• Coordinating e-health or informatics innovations among public health programs and between the public and private sector
• Providing training and consultation on the intelligent use of data for planning and carrying out public health measures
• Providing health system transparency through analysis of data from the All Payer Claims Database
• Collecting and reporting of statewide hospitalization, surgery, and emergency department encounter data
• Collecting and reporting of managed care organizations' performance measures and health maintenance organization enrollee satisfaction

Records of vital events preserved in the Office of Vital Records and Statistics are used for legal purposes, such as documentation of citizenship, age, and family relationships. The data derived from health records are for monitoring the health of the Utah population. The Department of Health routinely calculates and web-publishes health indicators through the Indicator Based Information System for Public Health (IBIS-PH). Key health indicators are leading causes of death, prevalence of chronic diseases (such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, and arthritis), and the incidence of serious injuries like poisonings and motor vehicle crash injuries.

Health system data collected under the Health Data Authority Act in UCA 26-33a permit similar monitoring of the functioning of the health care delivery system. Key indicators in this area include costs for hospitalization and medical care, access to and utilization of various health services, and comparative measures of the quality of health services provided throughout Utah. MyHealthCare website has the results of assessments of the health system in Utah.

Center for Health Data surveys result in a number of reports, among them: Health Insurance Coverage, Injuries in Utah, Health Status in Utah, Chronic Conditions in Utah, Socioeconomic Status and Health, Limitations of Activities, Interpersonal Violence, Health Care Access and Utilization, Lifestyle Factors, and the Medical Outcomes Study.

Performance

Funding Detail

Program: Program Operations

Function

The following administrative support functions make up Program Operations and report to the Executive Director:

• Office of Fiscal Operations -- Directs the following functions:
  1. Budget -- Manages the preparation of the Health Department's annual appropriations request and monitors expenditures within the appropriated budget.
  2. Finance -- Provides purchasing, accounting, payroll, and financial information services.
• Department of Technology Services -- Provides computer and communication technology support.
• Employee Support Services -- Provides administrative support for office function, building, equipment, and grounds.

Funding Detail

Program: Office of Internal Audit

Function

The Office of Internal Audit performs the following functions:

• Financial audits of contracts with outside agencies as well as internal audit activities.
• Compliance, performance, and special request audits.

Performance

Funding Detail

Effective FY 2012, Medicaid Program Integrity is now part of the Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services within the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. Prior to FY 2011, the funding for this program was part of the Medicaid and Health Financing line item.