Section 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.

2009 Acts, ch 182, §116, 126