Functions of the department

The powers, duties, and functions of the department of health relating to preventive medicine shall be as follows: (1) To supervise and coordinate activities in the fields of preventive medicine, including cancer control, crippled children, epidemiology, geriatrics, laboratories, maternal and child health, mental hygiene, nutrition, and communicable diseases; (2) To formulate and put into effect throughout the State educational programs for the purposes of preventing and reducing disease and disability; (3) To engage in the collection and analysis of statistical information pertinent to any of its activities; (4) To cooperate with and propose methods and programs to other governmental agencies relating to the fields of preventive medicine; (5) To serve as the coordinating agency for programs which provide for a range of child abuse and neglect prevention services in relation to assessed needs, regardless of whether the programs are conducted by the department, other government agencies, or private organizations and to coordinate the prevention programs with child abuse and neglect treatment services; provided that this paragraph shall not be interpreted to compel a specified level of services; and (6) To perform such other appropriate functions as may be required.