Charles R. Buck, Jr., Sc.D., Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene
Joseph I. Berman, M.D., Deputy Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene
William M. Eichbaum, Assistant Secretary/or Environmental Programs
John L. Green, Assistant Secretary/or Health Regulation and Policy Analysis
John J. Kent, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Administration

Stanley R. Platman, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Addictions, and
Developmental Disabilities

Vacancy, Assistant Secretary/or Health
Adele Wilzack, Assistant Secretary for Medical Care Programs

201 West Preston Street
Baltimore 21201 Telephone: 383-2600

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene was established on July 1, 1969, in accordance with
the provisions of Chapter 77, Acts of 1969. The mission of the Department is to assure the people of
Maryland their inherent right to a healthful environment and a high level of physical, mental, and so-
cial health. Achievement of this goal will be through the development of a comprehensive, continuous,
and accessible system of health services for the State of Maryland, which emphasizes the promotion of
health and the prevention of disease and disability.

Many programs are by their nature public functions and could not be performed effectively by the
private sector. Prime among these is the responsibility for dealing with the epidemiological dimensions
of hazards to health affecting the community, such as environmental pollution and communicable dis-
ease, and the organization of community efforts to prevent or control their impact.

The twenty-four local health departments report directly to the Deputy Secretary for Health and
Mental Hygiene and have access to all Departmental officials as well. The local health departments are
the focal point in the delivery of services.

The Department provides or purchases direct care services primarily in the following areas: residen-
tial and outpatient care for the mentally ill, the mentally retarded, the chronically ill, including those
with tuberculosis, the impaired elderly, persons with addictive conditions, and court-referred youths. It
also provides several preventive medicine services directly. It further develops programs for the rehabil-
itation of troubled youth. The Department also provides a comprehensive program of health care ser-
vices for the indigent and medically indigent.

The Department is organized on the basis of program similarities under six Assistant Secretaries to
provide effective service delivery. Under the Assistant Secretary for Medical Care Programs there are
three administrations—Policy, Operations, and Compliance—charged with the reimbursement of
health care services for the indigent and medically indigent. The Alcoholism Control, Drug Abuse,
Mental Retardation, Developmental Disabilities, and Mental Hygiene Administrations are assigned to
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Addictions, and Developmental
Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary for Health is responsible for the Laboratories, Preventive Medi-
cine, Aged and Chronically 111, and Juvenile Services Administrations, and the Board of Post Mortem
Examiners.

All Department-wide services of a regulatory nature, such as State Health Planning and Develop-
ment, Regulatory Services, Health Services Cost Review, and Program Evaluation are coordinated by
the Assistant Secretary for Health Regulation and Policy Analysis.