This is Public Health: Acronyms and Organizational Charts by Anneke Mohr

 

Acronyms.  Anyone who has worked in public health knows that it can often turn into a game of alphabet soup.  Working at the state government level adds another layer of complexity.  After a year and a half in the fellowship, I’m trying to finally understand who’s who at the

DHS has three Offices and six Divisions.  The Division fellows work in is the Division of Public Health (Acronym #2: DPH).  Other Divisions include:

• Division of Health Care Access and Accountability
• Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Division of Quality Assurance
• Division of Long Term Care
• Division of Enterprise Services

Each Office or Bureau in DPH has several Units, Programs, or Sections:

OHI

• Public Health Information Network (PHIN)
• Epidemiology Coordination
• eHealth Initiative
• Population Health
• Vital Records
• Health Care Information

OPPA

• Regional Offices
• Primary Care Office
• Policy (including HW2020 and Minority Health)

BCDER

• Communicable Diseases/Epidemiology
• HIV/AIDS
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Immunization
• Emergency Health Care and Preparedness

BCHP

• Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Family Health
• Chronic Disease Prevention and Cancer Control
• Tobacco Prevention and Control

BEOH

• Health Hazard Evaluation
• Food Safety and Recreational License
• Asbestos and Lead

BOO

• Budget Section
• Communications
• Administration

Current fellows working at/with DHS include:

Year 2

• Kristen Audet (BCDER, Emergency Health Care and Preparedness)
• Akbar Husain (OPPA, Western Regional Office)
• Emma Hynes (BCHP, Family Health)
• Anneke Mohr (BCDER, HIV/AIDS)

Year 1

• Sarah Geiger (BEOH, Health Hazard Evaluation)
• Christina Hanna (BCDER, HIV/AIDS)
• Carly Hood (BCHP, Chronic Disease Prevention)

Hopefully this makes things a little clearer.  The next time you hear OPPA, don’t just think about Gangnum Style.  Think about public health!