preventive health supervision (especially in expectant mothers, in-
fants, preschool children and school children), and by the active con-
trol of communicable diseases; through the administration of a hospi-
tal program for the tuberculous and the chronically ill, a medical care
and a hospital inpatient and outpatient program for the indigent and
the medically indigent, and a medical and hospital care program for
crippled children; and through assistance to local health departments
and cooperation with State and Federal agencies, with the medical,
dental and other health professions, with private health associations,
and with citizens groups in carrying out a wide variety of public
health programs (Code 1957, Arts. 27, 80, 43, 77 and 101).

To carry out these duties, the Department is organized into an
executive office and six bureaus.

Executive Office

The Executive Office includes the offices of the Commissioner and
the Deputy Commissioner together with the following specialized staff
services: Division of Statistical Research and Records, including the
keeping of vital records and statistics. Social Services, Legal Services,
Civil Defense Medical Services, Public Health Nursing, Public Health
Education, and Local Health Services.

Local Health Services make public health service available to
residents of Maryland through the twenty-four local health depart-
ments. These local health officers with their staffs of nurses, sanitari-
ans, and others are the backbone of public health services in Mary-
land. These local units operate the public health programs in each
county and Baltimore City, including public health nursing, pre- and
post-hospitalization services, sanitation, mental health, dental health,
maternal and child health, tuberculosis, venereal, and other communi-
cable disease control, services for crippled children, and medical care
for the indigent and medically indigent including the aged. The State
Department of Health is responsible for providing consultatory serv-
ices for local health work.

Bureau of Management

The Bureau of Management has the responsibility of providing the
day-to-day personnel, payroll, accounting, budgeting, transportation,
and other administrative services.

Bureau of Preventive Medicine

The Bureau of Preventive Medicine provides for technical and
professional assistance to other subdivisions of the State Health
Department, especially local health departments, and other agencies,
groups, and institutions in the State engaged in the broad field of
promotion of health and prevention of illness and disability.

Bureau of Laboratories

The Bureau of Laboratories has broad responsibilities to make a
wide variety of laboratory tests to assist physicians and health offi-
cials in the diagnosis, prevention, and control of human diseases; to
make examinations in connection with the enforcement of pure food
and drug laws; and to establish minimum standards and qualifications
for those making laboratory tests in connection with diagnosis and
control of human diseases. It has further responsibility under Article
101 to make necessary laboratory tests in connection with the occu-
pational health programs of the Department.