Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 1
Composition of department
Section 1. There shall be a department of public health, consisting of a commissioner of public health and a public health council.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 17 — Department of Public Health
Massachusetts · statute · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17 · 23 active provisions
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 2
Commissioner; qualifications; appointment and term; salary
Section 2. At the time of appointment, the commissioner shall be a graduate of an accredited four-year college or university and shall have had (a) not less than eight years of administrative experience of which at least three years shall have been in the organization, management or delivery of health care services; or…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 2A
Powers of commissioner upon declaration of emergency
Section 2A. Upon declaration by the governor that an emergency exists which is detrimental to the public health, the commissioner may, with the approval of the governor and the public health council, during such period of emergency, take such action and incur such liabilities as he may deem necessary to assure the main…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 3
Public health council
Section 3. (a) There shall be a public health council to advise the commissioner of public health and to perform other duties as required by law. The council shall consist of the commissioner of public health as chairperson and 14 members appointed for terms of 6 years under this section. The commissioner may designate…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 4
Other divisions; directors; civil service
Section 4. There shall be in the department a division of sanatoria, a division of communicable and venereal diseases, a division of food and drugs, a division of alcoholism, a division of drug rehabilitation, a division of organ transplants and such other divisions as the commissioner, with the approval of the public…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 4A
Poison information and control center
Section 4A. There shall be in the department a poison information and control center to accept inquiries and provide comprehensive, full-time, centralized professional information to cities and towns of the commonwealth. The department may through agencies of the commonwealth or by contract with private hospitals, inst…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 5
Deputy commissioners
Section 5. The commissioner may, with the approval of the public health council, designate the director of one or more, but not more than three, divisions as deputy commissioners, who shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the commissioner, and he may, with like approval, designate one of the deputy commissi…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 6
Assistant directors, treasurers, superintendents, inspectors and other employees
Section 6. The commissioner may, with the approval of the public health council, appoint assistant directors of divisions and epidemiologists, inspectors and other necessary employees. Persons appointed hereunder shall be subject to chapter thirty-one. The commissioner may require that a physician to be appointed under…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 6A
Training programs for residents in medical specialties; fellowships
Section 6A. Under the supervision of the commissioner, superintendents of hospitals under the control and supervision of the department may establish programs for the training of residents in medicine, and in such other specialties and subspecialties of medicine as he may deem necessary. The persons undergoing such tra…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 6B
Hearings officer
Section 6B. The commissioner shall appoint a hearings officer who shall be an attorney and who shall not be subject to chapter thirty-one. He shall hold hearings as provided in chapter one hundred and eleven.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 7
District health officers
Section 7. The commissioner, with the approval of the public health council, shall appoint a district health officer for each health district provided in section four of chapter one hundred and eleven. Such officers shall be graduates of incorporated medical schools, admitted to practice in the commonwealth, or shall h…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 7A
Public health officers; eligibility; salaries
Section 7A. The commissioner, with the approval of the secretary of health and human services, may designate certain physicians and dentists employed by the department as public health officers; provided, however, that there shall be not more than ten public health officers in the department at any one time. In order t…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 11
Commission on hypertension
Section 11. There shall be in the department, but in no manner subject to its control, a commission on hypertension, hereinafter called the commission. The commission shall consist of three persons to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the council, who shall be members of the medical professio…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 13
Drug formulary commission
Section 13. (a) There shall be in the department a drug formulary commission consisting of 16 members. The commission shall include: the commissioner of public health or a designee, who shall serve as the chair of the commission; the director of Medicaid or a designee; the commissioner of insurance or a designee; and 1…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 15
Advisory council on organ and tissue transplants and donations
Section 15. (a) There shall be an advisory council on organ and tissue transplants and donations which shall consist of the commissioner of public health; the registrar of motor vehicles; the director of organ transplants; the president of the Massachusetts Medical Society; and at least 6 persons to be appointed by the…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 16
Office of violence prevention; duties
Section 16. There shall be in the department an office of violence prevention whose purpose shall be to coordinate and expand violence prevention activities, to reduce the incidences of interpersonal violence and intentional injury. The duties of said office shall consist of the following: (1) To integrate a violence p…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 17
Advisory council on quality of care in nursing homes; members; duties
Section 17. There shall be an advisory council on quality of care in nursing homes to consist of the commissioner of public health, the commissioner of medical assistance, the secretary of aging and independence, the director of the Commonwealth Corporation and 11 persons to be appointed by the governor, 2 of whom shal…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 18
Bureau of substance addiction services; telephone helpline; website
Section 18. (a) There shall be a bureau of substance addiction services within the department. (b) The bureau shall establish and advertise a free, anonymous and confidential toll-free telephone helpline that provides comprehensive, accurate and current information and referrals related to addiction treatment and preve…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 18A
Voluntary training and accreditation program for operators of alcohol and drug free housing
Section 18A. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: ''Alcohol and drug free housing'', a residence, commonly known as a sober home, that provides or advertises as providing, an alcohol and drug free environment for people recover…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 19
Regulations relative to coordination of care and management; discharge planning for substance use disorder treatment programs
Section 19. The department shall promulgate regulations relative to coordination of care and management that includes effective discharge planning for substance use disorder treatment programs subject to licensure or approval under sections 24 and 24D of chapter 90, sections 6 and 6A of chapter 111B and section 7 of ch…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 20
Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance Fund
Section 20. There shall be established and placed within the department of public health a fund to be known as the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance Fund, in this section referred to as the fund, to support innovative practices to prevent domestic and sexual violence and provide assistance t…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 21
Promulgation of regulations relative to patient access to hospital emergency rooms or departments requiring hospitals to meet minimum criteria and standards that ensure safe, timely and accessible patient access to hospital emergency rooms or departments at all times
Section 21. The department of public health shall promulgate regulations relative to patient access to hospital emergency rooms or departments that would require all hospitals in the commonwealth to meet minimum criteria and standards that ensure safe, timely and accessible patient access to hospital emergency rooms or…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 17, § 22
Standards for a certified training program for schools; certifying documentation; review of certifying documentation; evaluation of the integrity and efficacy of training programs; preparation, publishing, dissemination and annual update a list of certified schools
Section 22. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: ''Certified school'', a school certified by the department pursuant to subsection (c). ''Certified training program'', a training program certified by the department pursuant t…