Ohio is a "home rule" state, with 134 local public health departments. Since the early 1980s, the Ohio Department of Health and local health departments have worked to establish performance standards for health departments.
The state and local goals, though distinct, are both founded in the Ten Essential Public Health Services. At the local health agency level, the performance standards process is established in statute and requires local health agencies to measure their performance under the six broad goals and 25 standards in order to qualify for a state subsidy. At the state agency level, the Director of Health has established six broad goals and multiple annual performance priorities and associated performance measures.
