The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health. The department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other essential human services. The OSDH serves as the primary public health protection agency in the state.
The department is led by a State Board of Health, composed of nine members appointed by the governor of Oklahoma with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate. The board in turn appoints the State Commissioner of Health, who serves as the executive officer of the department and is the lead public health authority in the state.
The 20th, and current, Commissioner of Health is Dr. Terry Cline, Ph.D., who was appointed by the board on June 30, 2009. Governor Mary Fallin appointed Cline to served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2011 in addition to his duties as Health Commissioner.
The Department was created in 1963 during the term of Governor Henry Bellmon.
Read more about Oklahoma State Department Of Health: Leadership, State Board of Health, Organization, Supporting Agencies
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