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135a-2
135A.2 DEFINITIONS.
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,
the following definitions apply:
1. "Academic institution" means an institution of higher
education in the state which grants undergraduate and postgraduate
degrees and is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting
agency as determined by the United States secretary of education.
For purposes of this definition, "accredited" means a
certification of the quality of an institution of higher education.
2. "Accrediting entity" means a legal, independent, nonprofit
or governmental entity or entities approved by the state board of
health for the purpose of accrediting designated local public health
agencies and the department pursuant to the voluntary accreditation
program developed under this chapter.
3. "Administration" means the operational procedures,
personnel and fiscal management systems, and facility requirements
that must be in place for the delivery and assurance of public health
services.
4. "Committee" means the governmental public health
evaluation committee as established in this chapter.
5. "Communication and information technology" means the
processes, procedures, and equipment needed to provide public
information and transmit and receive information among public health
entities and community partners; and applies to the procedures,
physical hardware, and software required to transmit, receive, and
process electronic information.
6. "Council" means the governmental public health advisory
council as established in this chapter.
7. "Department" means the department of public health.
8. "Designated local public health agency" means an entity
that is either governed by or contractually responsible to a local
board of health and designated by the local board to comply with the
Iowa public health standards for a jurisdiction.
9. "Governance" means the functions and responsibilities of
the local boards of health and the state board of health to oversee
governmental public health matters.
10. "Governmental public health system" means the system
described in section 135A.6.
11. "Iowa public health standards" means the governmental
public health standards adopted by rule by the state board of health.
12. "Local board of health" means a county or district board
of health.
13. "Organizational capacity" means the governmental public
health infrastructure that must be in place in order to deliver
public health services.
14. "Public health region" means, at a minimum, one of six
geographical areas approved by the state board of health for the
purposes of coordination, resource sharing, and planning and to
improve delivery of public health services.
15. "Public health services" means the basic public health
services that all Iowans should reasonably expect to be provided by
designated local public health agencies and the department.
16. "Voluntary accreditation" means verification of a
designated local public health agency or the department that
demonstrates compliance with the Iowa public health standards by an
accrediting entity.
17. "Workforce" means the necessary qualified and competent
staff required to deliver public health services. Section History: Recent Form
2009 Acts, ch 182, §116, 126
