266486 Intergovernmental cooperation in public health: A survey of state law

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Corey Davis, JD, MSPH , National Health Law Program, Carrboro, NC
Milissa Markiewicz, MPH, MIA , Network for Public Health Law - Southeastern Region, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
In the face of declining resources, many local health departments (LHDs) are exploring ways to improve efficiency, meet accreditations standards, and reduce costs by sharing service delivery and other functions with neighboring LHDs. The range of options being considered includes service-sharing through collaborative agreements with other LHDs as well as the formation of new entities including district health departments and similar authorities.

One method for cross-jurisdictional sharing is through the use of intergovernmental cooperation agreements, which permit localities to enter into agreements with other entities to provide health and other services. The law governing such agreements varies greatly between states, and sometimes between different localities within states. For example, some states may permit the creation of freestanding health agencies with independent taxing authority, while others limit the allowable cooperation to purchased service agreements and similar contractual undertakings.

This session will present the results of a rigorous, quantitative legal survey of intergovernmental cooperation laws in all 50 states, providing a snapshot of the levels of cooperation among health departments permissible in each state. In addition, we will present the results of an analysis of related laws (e.g., laws that allow for the creation of district health departments and similar arrangements) in a sample of states.

Learning Areas:
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Differentiate between different types of intergovernmental cooperation agreements Describe how public health agencies may use intergovernmental cooperation agreements Explain the types of intergovernmental cooperation agreements available in different states

Keywords: Health Departments, Health Law

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am employed full-time as a public health attorney. I am familiar with quantitative legal research methods and the importance of interlocal agreements to public health departments.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4266.0: Legal approaches to advancing population health