The purpose of the Florida Department of Health is to take responsibility for the state's public health system, which shall be designed to promote, protect, and improve the health of all people in the state.

The department's activities include the following.

• Chronic Disease Prevention and Management works toward reducing chronic conditions and diseases such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, and stroke.  
• Prevention and Wellness programs seek to prevent a variety of harms to Floridians, including injury, human trafficking, overdose, and suicide. 
• Individual and Family Health programs support dental health; provide health services to refugees; provide immunizations; and offer programs and resources for women's health, such as family planning, pregnancy, and breast and cervical cancer screening. 
• Disability Determinations determine eligibility for Florida citizens who apply for disability benefits under the federal Social Security Act or the state's Medically Needy Program.
• Emergency Preparedness provides disaster response resources and guidance on where to find emergency shelters. 
• Child, Infant, and Youth Health administers the Early Steps program, which offers services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays, disabilities, and at-risk conditions at no cost to families; offers newborn screening for certain conditions; a special health care needs program, providing family-centered care, using a statewide network of health professionals; Healthy Start, a free home-visiting program that provides education and care coordination to pregnant women and families of children under the age of three; a school health program, which provides basic health services to all public school students; and provides information on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, a federally funded nutrition program that provides free healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and referrals to health care and community services. 
• Professional licensing programs provides information related to health care licensing, license verification, regulated facilities and permits, and complaints and enforcement.
• County Health Departments provide services that align with the four core pillars of public health, including infectious disease prevention and control, acute care and preventative services, environmental health and preparedness and response.
  

The funding information listed below is provided by Transparency Florida. Additional funding information can be obtained on the State of Florida Fiscal Portal or by contacting the department.

Information on the department’s performance may be found in its Annual Report.

OPPAGA Reports and Presentations
A complete list of OPPAGA reports and presentations is available on our website. 

Other Reports
A complete list of Florida Auditor General reports is available on its website.

Websites of Interest
Public Health Accreditation Board
United Health Foundation
America's Health Rankings
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Sections 20.43 and 20.435, Florida Statutes

Florida Department of Health Contact Website
Florida Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3253
(850) 245-4444
Website