31-2-1. Legislative intent; grant of authority.

Given the growing concern and complexities of health issues in this state, it is the intent of the General Assembly to create a Department of Community Health dedicated to health issues. Illustrating, without limiting, the foregoing grant of authority, the department is empowered to:

Serve as the lead planning agency for all health issues in the state to remedy the current situation wherein the responsibility for health care policy, purchasing, planning, and regulation is spread among many different agencies and achieve determinations of Medicaid eligibility for inmates to attain services at long-term care facilities when he or she is being considered for parole;#

Permit the state to maximize its purchasing power and to administer its operations in a manner so as to receive the maximum amount of federal financial participation available in expenditures of the department;#

Minimize duplication and maximize administrative efficiency in the state’s health care systems by removing overlapping functions and streamlining uncoordinated programs;#

Allow the state to develop a better health care infrastructure that is more responsive to the consumers it serves while improving access to and coverage for health care;#

Focus more attention and departmental procedures on the issue of wellness, including diet, exercise, and personal responsibility;#

Enter into or upon public or private property at reasonable times for the purpose of inspecting same to determine the presence of conditions deleterious to health or to determine compliance with applicable laws and rules, regulations, and standards thereunder; and#

Promulgate and enforce rules and regulations for the licensing of medical facilities wherein abortion procedures under subsections (b) and (c) of Code Section 16-12-141 are to be performed.#