GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 549

 

 

Short Title:        Study Reg. Health Authorities/Data Analytics.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Hartsell (Primary Sponsor); and Hise.
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate.

March 30, 2015

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT TO STUDY THE METHODOLOGY BY WHICH to move the state public heath system from a county‑based system to a system involving three regional public health authorities and to study the creation of a state health improvement analytics center.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  The Department of Health and Human Services, the Commission for Public Health, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall collaborate and study the methodology by which to move the public health system from a county‑based system to a system involving three regional public health authorities. These three regional public health authorities shall be supported by one State agency or board. This study shall include information on the following:

(1)        An evaluation of the publicly financed public health service delivery structure in North Carolina, including identification of State, local, public, and private entities engaged in activities contributing to health outcomes, and a review of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within the service structure.

(2)        An evaluation of the governance structure of public health and mental health, including the advantages and disadvantages of current and alternative governance models.

(3)        An evaluation of the three geographic areas that would be most appropriately combined to form three regional public health authorities.

(4)        Identification of the various health services currently performed by counties within the State and how these functions may be streamlined under a regional public health authority system.

(5)        An evaluation of the functions that would be best delegated to the regional public health authorities and functions that would be best retained by a State agency or board supporting the regional public health authorities.

The report, including any recommendations, shall be submitted to the Program Evaluation Division no later than December 1, 2015.

SECTION 2.  The Department of Insurance, the Division in the Department of the State Treasurer responsible for the State Health Plan for Teaches and State Employees, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Commission for Public Health, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall collaborate and study the creation of a health improvement analytics center to conduct advanced mining of large data sets. This study shall include information on the following:

(1)        The extent and quality of available public heath indicators, including collection methods, comprehensiveness, validity, accessibility and availability for research, and use in continuous improvement of public health policies, and an analysis of costs associated with improving deficient data reporting systems.

(2)        The development of simulation models to test public health policies and scenarios.

(3)        Methods by which public health data from non‑State entities may be obtained and utilized by a health improvement analytics center.

(4)        Areas in which public health population data is currently lacking.

The report, including any recommendations, shall be submitted to the Program Evaluation Division no later than December 1, 2015.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.