Organizational Structure
The Worcester County Health Department is led by Health Officer Rebecca L. Jones. The department is divided into six programs, listed below, each with a program director.
Our behavioral health and ambulatory care programs are fully accredited by The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 17,000 health organizations and programs in the United States.
Our behavioral health and ambulatory care programs are re-evaluated and accreditation is renewed every three years. The programs have maintained accreditation for 24 years.
Information about the safety and quality of accredited behavioral health and ambulatory care organizations is available to the public at www.qualitycheck.org. Public Health Accreditation Board: As of 2014, Worcester County Health Department has received additional accreditation, with a primary focus on the provision of top quality core public health services, under the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)
The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.
Below are the programs at the health department:
Addictions Program
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs provide Worcester County residents with different levels of treatment, at several sites, based on the individual needs of the client. Read more...
Case Management Program
The Case Management Unit offers a variety of services including assistance with obtaining entitlements, assistance with locating housing, as well as locating community resources to meet individual needs. Each individual that qualifies for services will be assigned a Case Manager to assist with meeting their needs. Read more...
Community Health
The Community Health Program provides a variety of services including immunizations, family planning assistance, HIV, STD and TB monitoring. The program also contains the Maryland Access Point staff. The Community Health Program is also responsible for the Emergency Preparedness functions of the Health Department and led the response to the H1N1 Flu pandemic. Read more...
Dental
The Worcester County Dental Center serves patients who are uninsured, underinsured or enrolled in Maryland Healthy Smiles Program AND are under 21 OR pregnant. The Worcester County Dental Center is located at 107 William Street in Berlin. Phone: 410-641-0240 Cost varies with Service. Sliding scale based on income.
Environmental Health Program
The Environmental Health Program is responsible for licensing and inspection of food establishments, pools and spas, and body piercing establishments and piercers. They are also responsible for food borne illness outbreak investigations, rabies exposure and animal bite investigations, and health related nuisance complaint investigations. Read more...
Mental Health Program
The Mental Health Program provides mental health counseling and referral. Services include individual, group, and family counseling, in-school programs for youth, summer programs, in-home services for the chronically mental ill, and a Crisis Response Team designed to provide 24-hour-a-day response for individuals with a psychiatric or substance abuse disorder who are in crisis. Read more...
Prevention Program
The Prevention Program promotes healthy practices by providing educational programs, trainings, screenings, and resource materials. Some sample programs include smoking cessation, nutrition counseling, the Just Walk program, blood pressure screening, cancer screening, lunchtime fitness programs, diabetes support groups, and child safety seats. Services are available to community groups, youth groups, schools, churches, and worksites. Read more...
Planning Program
The Planning Program leads the Health Department's Quality Assurance initiatives, strategic planning, certification projects, and data collection and tracking. The Planning Program also contains the Core Services Agency staff. Read more...
Administration Program
The Administration Program provides support functions for the rest of the organization including Accounting, Billing, Facilities Management, Human Resources, and Information Technology. Read more...