DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & MENTAL HYGIENE

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

Public Health Services was established in 1987. The Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services is responsible for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner and seven administrations: AIDS; Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Community Health; Developmental Disabilities; Family Health; Laboratories; and Mental Hygiene. Public Health Services is aided by the Community Access Steering Committee, and the Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission.

COMMUNITY SERVICES REIMBURSEMENT RATE COMMISSION
In 1996, the Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission formed as an independent unit that functions within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (Chapter 593, Acts of 1996). The Commission assesses the adequacy of reimbursement rates paid to community-based agencies or programs that serve individuals with developmental or psychiatric disabilities and are funded by the Developmental Disabilities Administration or the Mental Hygiene Administration. The Commission considers: the needs of service recipients; quality of service; State and federal regulations; staff turnover; staff qualifications; and solvency of providers. The Commission compares salaries and benefits in the private sector to those paid by the State. It evaluates the efficiency of the State's methods of reimbursing providers, and how much uncompensated care is being provided. In reporting its findings, the Commission may recommend changes in law or regulation.

To provide advice on technical issues, the Commission has formed two advisory groups: the Developmental Disabilities Administration Technical Advisory Group, and the Mental Hygiene Administration Technical Advisory Group.

The Commission's seven members are appointed to three-year terms by the Governor with Senate advice and consent. Authorization for the Commission continues until September 30, 2002 (Code Health - General Article, secs. 13-801 through 13-810).

MORTALITY REVIEW COMMITTEE
Within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Mortality Review Committee was initiated in October 2000 (Chapter 470, Acts of 2000). The Mortality Review Committee is concerned with the death of any person with developmental disabilities who, at the time of death, resided in or was receiving services from any program or facility licensed or operated by the Developmental Disabilities Administration, or operated by waiver. After the Office of Health Care Quality reviews each such death, the Office reports to the Committee which, in turn, examines the Office report. Annually, the Committee prepares a public summary report.

Appointed by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Committee has eighteen members (Code Health - General Article, secs. 5-801 through 5-810).

AIDS ADMINISTRATION

Created in 1987 as the AIDS Control Administration, the Administration received its current name in 1988. The AIDS Administration educates the public and health care professionals about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV). It monitors the disease in Maryland, and provides services for persons with AIDS or infected with HIV. The Administration consults and coordinates its work with twenty-four local health departments. Each local health department has counseling and testing sites that offer free tests and consultations.

Clinical activities for the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with AIDS are funded by the AIDS Administration. The Administration also administers grants to community organizations for gay and minority outreach efforts.

The Administration is organized under two main functions: Epidemiology and Research, and HIV Services.

EPIDEMIOLOGY & RESEARCH

CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY & HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
The Center for Epidemiology and Health Services Research started as the Center for AIDS Epidemiology and became the Center for AIDS Epidemiology and Analysis in 1997. It reorganized as the Center for Epidemiology and Health Research in 1998, and later that year combined with the Center for Health Data under its present name.

Through case surveillance, epidemiologic investigations, and seroprevalence and other studies, the Center determines the impact of the AIDS/HIV epidemic in Maryland. Data and information derived from studies are used by the Center and other organizations to design programs for prevention and health care, and support requests for federal funds.

HIV SERVICES

CENTER FOR EDUCATION & TRAINING
The Center for Education and Training began in 1991 as the Division of Professional Education and Health Services. The Division formed by merging the functions of the Division of Provider Education and Training with the Division of Patient Care Services. In 1994, the Division of Professional Education and Health Services reorganized as the Center for Professional Education and Patient Services and, in 1997, received its present name.

In 1997, when the Center for Quality Assessment and Improvement was abolished, most of its functions were assigned to the Center for Education and Training. Among these functions are the evaluation of the results of preventive care, early intervention, and treatment provided by the AIDS Administration; and the setting of high standards of clinical performance for State and federally funded HIV and AIDS services.

The Center for Education and Training educates health-care professionals about HIV and treats persons who are HIV infected. HIV diagnostic evaluation units where a person with HIV disease can be assessed by health-care professionals are funded by the Center. Staff consult with the patient's health-care provider to help that provider meet the patient's complex medical needs.

Maryland AIDS Drug Assistance Program. The Center also operates this program which covers the cost of specified drugs for eligible persons.

Under the Center for Education and Training are three divisions: Health Communication; Local Prevention Services; and Training.

DIVISION OF LOCAL PREVENTION SERVICES
The Division of Local Prevention Services first formed as the Division of HIV Counseling and Testing Services. In 1996, it was placed under the Center for AIDS Education (later the Center for Prevention Programs) and adopted its name. The Division later transferred to the Center for Education and Training.

At no charge, the Division provides HIV health education and counseling, as well as voluntary HIV antibody testing to any Marylander. Efforts are made selectively to test, counsel, and refer for treatment and other services those individuals who practice behaviors that put them at risk for HIV infection.

Services are provided by funding local health departments to operate 54 sites throughout Maryland for HIV counseling and testing services. All local health departments also provide programs for sexually transmitted disease. These programs offer HIV-risk assessment, counseling, and testing to their clients.

CENTER FOR HIV PATIENT SERVICES
In 1989, the Center for HIV Patient Services was established as the Division of AIDS Services, Planning, and Development. The Division became the Center for AIDS Services, Planning, and Development in 1994. It reorganized in 1997 as the Center for HIV Patient Services.

The Center develops resources to meet the needs of AIDS/HIV patients and analyzes cost data on the treatment of HIV. In Maryland, the Center administers the Ryan White CARE Act program, which is federally funded (P.L. 101-381). Through this and other federal programs, the Center helps support HIV services throughout the State.

CENTER FOR PREVENTION PROGRAMS
The Center for Prevention Programs began in 1987 as the Center for AIDS Education and received its present name in 1997. The Center also is known as the Maryland Center for AIDS-Related Educational Services (MDCARES). It develops, implements, and oversees programs designed to interrupt transmission of the AIDS/HIV infection. Prevention efforts help both the general population and individuals and communities at high risk of AIDS/HIV disease. The Center also is responsible for the AIDS hotline.

ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE ADMINISTRATION

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration started as two separate agencies: one concerned with alcoholism and the other with addiction to narcotics. Formed in 1969, the Drug Abuse Authority was succeeded in 1971 by the Drug Abuse Administration (Chapter 404, Acts of 1969; Chapter 29, Acts of 1971). The Division of Alcoholism Control of the former Mental Health Administration became the Alcoholism Control Administration in 1976 (Chapter 746, Acts of 1976). By departmental reorganization in 1987, the Drug Abuse Administration and the Alcoholism Control Administration merged to become the Addictions Services Administration. In 1988, the Administration received its present name (Chapter 758, Acts of 1988; Code Health - General Article, Title 8).

Functions of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration are carried out by four main units: Community Treatment and Prevention Services; Justice Services; Management Services; and Quality Assurance. The Administration also is served by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Research Advisory Committee.

ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
In 1990, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Research Advisory Committee was created (Chapter 580, Acts of 1990). The Committee develops methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of treatment programs. The Committee also advises the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration on regulations needed for research on the effectiveness of treatment programs (Code Health - General Article, sec. 8-402).

COMMUNITY TREATMENT & PREVENTION SERVICES

PREVENTION SERVICES DIVISION & RADAR NETWORK CENTER
The Prevention Services Division and Radar Network Center funds, develops, implements, and monitors strategies to prevent alcohol and drug addiction. The Division works with the Office for Children, Youth, and Families; the State Department of Education; the Department of Human Resources; and the Department of Transportation.

TREATMENT SERVICES DIVISION
The Treatment Services Division organized as the Regional Field Services Division. Renamed the Treatment and Field Services Division in 1994, it received its present name in 1998. To coordinate addiction treatment services, the Division serves as liaison between local and State government agencies.

JUSTICE SERVICES

POLICY & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
The Policy and Program Development Division originated as the Policy, Planning, and Development Division and received its current name in 1994. Administration policies, rules, and regulations governing alcohol and drug abuse treatment are formulated by the Division. The Division provides technical assistance to all methadone programs, oversees their compliance with State and federal regulations, and monitors private methadone programs. It also monitors treatment of pregnant addicts and compiles quarterly statistics on their admissions, retentions, and deliveries. In addition, the Division serves as liaison to the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

SPECIAL POPULATIONS DIVISION
The Special Populations Division organized in Fiscal Year 1985 as a project of the Alcoholism Control Administration. It continued under the Special Projects Division when the Addictions Services Administration formed in 1987. The following year, it organized into the Youth, Adolescents, and Family Division. In 1993, The Division became the Children, Youth, and Families Division and in 1995 received its present name.

For adolescents addicted to drugs or alcohol, and for their families, the Special Populations Division develops, monitors, and funds assessment and treatment services. Youths under age 18 or, if eligible for Medical Assistance, under age 21, and their families may secure help locally. Services include screening; clinical assessment; drug and alcohol education, and counseling; clinical intervention; case management; residential treatment and long-term continuing care; intensive outpatient and day treatment; and family therapy. Teenagers are referred by local schools, departments of social services, or offices of juvenile services for treatment. The Division also assists and monitors local public and private programs developing services for women, women with infants and children, and pregnant women.

GRANTS & CONTRACTS MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION

SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME DRUG & ALCOHOL PROJECT
Federally funded, the Social Security Income Drug and Alcohol Project certifies that Social Security recipients comply with federal eligibility standards. These require that all Social Security recipients with alcohol or drug abuse noted on their records be referred, where appropriate, to substance abuse programs and be monitored. The Social Security Administration refers to the Project persons over age 18 whose primary disability is substance abuse. The Project, in turn, refers the person to vocational rehabilitation for continued treatment and services.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SERVICES, CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS & OFFICE OF EDUCATION & TRAINING FOR ADDICTION SERVICES

OFFICE OF EDUCATION & TRAINING FOR ADDICTION SERVICES
Created in 1976, the Office of Education and Training for Addiction Services educates and trains public and private agency personnel who treat addicts and work to prevent addiction. The Office also helps devise curriculum and evaluates college and university courses on how to treat and prevent addiction.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SERVICES DIVISION
The Management Information Services Division develops and maintains agency data systems; reports and analyzes trends and patterns in alcohol and drug abuse, and assessment of treatment programs; and assists other divisions with data, research, and computerized information systems. All certified providers of public and private treatment and DWI assessors report monthly data to the Division.

COMMUNITY HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Community Health Administration originated in 1969 as the Local Health Services Administration. By 1973, it reorganized as the Local Health and Professional Support Services Administration and, by 1977, as the Local Health Administration. The Local Health Administration and the Family Health Administration merged in 1989 to form the Local and Family Health Administration. In January 1997, the Administration reformed as the Community and Public Health Administration. That administration divided into the Community Health Administration and the Family Health Administration in July 2001.

To ensure that basic public health services are provided in all parts of Maryland, the Community Health Administration oversees the local health departments in each county and Baltimore City. Under the direction of a local health officer, each local health department provides these services and administers and enforces State and local health laws and regulations in its jurisdiction. Programs meet the public health needs of the community and provide services not offered by the private sector. The local health officer is appointed jointly by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene and the local governing body.

Under the Administration are the Institutional Review Board and six offices: Consumer Health and Food Protection; Environmental Health Coordination; Epidemiology and Disease Control; Health Policy and Planning; Local Health; and Management Services.

CONSUMER HEALTH & FACILITY SERVICES

Consumer Health and Facility Services started as the Office of Food and Product Health. It was renamed the Office of Food Protection and Consumer Health Services in 1988 under the Community Health Surveillance and Laboratories Administration. In 1997, it reorganized as Consumer Health and Facility Services under the Community and Public Health Administration. Since July 2001, it has been under the Community Health Administration.

By eliminating or minimizing exposure to or consumption of unsafe commodities and substances, Consumer Health and Facility Services prevents disease, disability, and death. It controls the manufacture, distribution, and sale of milk, food, and consumer products. In addition, it establishes and enforces regulations regarding campgrounds and youth camps, migratory labor camps, mobile home parks, outdoor music festivals, and swimming pools.

Consumer Health and Facility Services oversees three offices: Environmental Health Coordination; Epidemiology and Disease Control; and Food Protection and Consumer Health Services. It is aided by the Youth Camp Safety Advisory Council.

OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COORDINATION
In 1998, the Office of Environment Health Coordination was created. When environmental issues may impact public health, the Office coordinates its work with the Department of the Environment and local environmental offices.

OFFICE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY & DISEASE CONTROL
201 West Preston St.
Baltimore, MD 21201 - 2399

The Office of Epidemiology and Disease Control began under the Community Health Surveillance and Laboratories Administration. That administration became the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997, and the Community Health Administration in July 2001. The Office works to control all communicable diseases affecting people in Maryland. The Office strives to contain hard-to-control diseases, such as hepatitis, influenza, sexually-transmitted diseases, and rabies. It also works to control acute communicable diseases, tuberculosis, nosocomial infections, and animal-borne diseases transmittable to humans. In addition, the Office supervises health programs for refugees and migrants.

Four centers are overseen by the Office: Clinical Epidemiology; Community Epidemiology; Immunization; and Veterinary Public Health.

OFFICE OF FOOD PROTECTION & CONSUMER HEALTH SERVICES

YOUTH CAMP SAFETY ADVISORY COUNCIL
c/o Office of Food Protection & Consumer Health Services
3431 Benson Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21227

The Youth Camp Safety Advisory Council was created in 1986 (Chapter 116, Acts of 1986). The Council helps the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene develop and review regulations for certifying youth camps. These regulations cover fire and safety standards; medical services; personnel screening procedures; refuse collection and disposal; safety; sanitation; sewage disposal; and water supplies; and reporting systems for fatalities, serious illnesses, or accidents. All youth camps in Maryland must comply with these regulations.

The Council's eleven members are appointed to three-year terms by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene and Senate advice and consent (Code Health - General Article, secs. 14-401 through 14-411).

OFFICE OF HEALTH POLICY
In January 1996, the Office of Health Policy formed to support strategic planning and related activities for the Community and Public Health Administration and the Department. Since July 2001, the Office has been part of the Community Health Administration. The Office staffs and coordinates the departmentwide Healthy Maryland Project 2010, and is preparing the Health Improvement Plan (a component of the Project).

Core Public Health Funding Program. The Office also administers this program which provides matching State funds to local health departments for vital programs, such as communicable disease control, maternal and child health services, and environmental health.

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The Office of Management Services was initiated in 1991 to consolidate administrative and fiscal functions of the Local and Family Health Administration. That administration became the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997, and the Community Health Administration in 2001. In 1997, the Office was placed under Administrative, Policy and Management Suppport. The Office is responsible for budget preparation, grants management, personnel, accounts payable, legislation, telecommunications, and regulations.

The Office has three divisions: Administrative Services; Financial Management; and Procurement Services.

OFFICE OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS
In 1963, the State Advisory Council on Physical Fitness began as the State Commission on Physical Fitness (Chapter 606, Acts of 1963). The Commission reorganized in 1992 by its present name under the Local and Family Health Administration (Chapter 71, Acts of 1992). The Administration became the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997.

The Council works to protect and improve the physical fitness of Marylanders. It disseminates information about physical fitness, and collects and assembles information from State agencies. To further its work, the Council maintains liaison with the State Department of Education, local boards of education, private and parochial schools, and local physical fitness commissions.

With the advice of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Governor appoints the Council's twenty-five members. Members serve four-year terms. The Governor names the chair. The Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene appoints the executive director.

In each county and Baltimore City, the Governor may appoint a local advisory council of from fifteen to twenty-five members. The Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene names each local council chair (Code Health - General Article, secs. 13-401 through 13-412).

LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

To ensure that basic public health services are provided in all parts of Maryland, the Community Health Administration oversees the local health departments in each county and Baltimore City. Under the direction of a local health officer, each local health department provides these services and administers and enforces State and local health laws and regulations in its jurisdiction. Programs meet the public health needs of the community and provide services not offered by the private sector. The local health officer is appointed jointly by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene and the local governing body.

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ADMINISTRATION

The Developmental Disabilities Administration originated in 1966 as the Division of Mental Retardation within the Bureau of Preventive Medical Services of the Office of Medical Care Services. In 1970, the Division reformed into a Directorate of Mental Retardation from which the Mental Retardation Administration was created in 1971. The Administration reorganized in 1982 as the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration (Chapter 430, Acts of 1982). In 1986, the Administration received its present name (Chapter 637, Acts of 1986).

For persons with developmental disabilities and their families, the Developmental Disabilities Administration plans, develops, and directs a statewide system of services. Among the services are programs for individuals with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, and severe communicative disorders. The Administration coordinates its work with other government, voluntary and private health, education and welfare agencies.

Residential facilities are operated by the Administration which also provides funds for purchased care, group homes and apartments, small residential centers, and daytime programs for developmentally disabled persons. In addition, the Administration funds Children's Summer Programs, Family and Individual Support Services, and Supported Employment Programs. Regional offices initiate, coordinate, and evaluate local programs (Code Health - General Article, secs. 7-101 through 7-1201).

The Administration operates four facilities: Brandenburg Center, Holly Center, Potomac Center, and Rosewood Center. The Community Services Advisory Commission and four citizens advisory boards also serve the Administration.

COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION
Within the Developmental Disabilities Administration, the Community Services Advisory Commission was created in 1986 (Chapter 797, Acts of 1986). Annually, the Commission updates a five-year plan to improve community services and programs for persons with developmental disabilities. The plan includes alternative ways and means to finance and expand services and programs.

The Commission has thirteen members. Seven are appointed by the Governor. One represents the State Department of Education. One is a state senator appointed by the Senate President, and one is a delegate appointed by the House Speaker (Code Health - General Article, sec. 7-204).

CENTRAL MARYLAND REGION

ROSEWOOD CENTER
Rosewood Lane
Owings Mills, MD 21117

Rosewood Center was established in 1888 as the Asylum and Training School for the Feeble Minded of the State of Maryland (Chapter 183, Acts of 1888). The Asylum and Training School first admitted children in 1889. From 1912 to 1961, it was known as Rosewood State Training School. In 1961, the School became Rosewood State Hospital (Chapter 89, Acts of 1961). When the State Department of Health merged with the Department of Mental Hygiene in 1969, the Hospital was renamed Rosewood Center.

The Center provides for the care, education, training, and habilitation of persons with mental retardation from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties and Baltimore City. Specialized services to manage behavior also are available. Rosewood is funded to serve a daily average of 290 residents (Code Health - General Article, sec. 7-305).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Board's seven members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

EASTERN SHORE REGION

HOLLY CENTER
P. O. Box 2358
Snow Hill Road (Route 12)
Salisbury, MD 21801 - 2358

In 1968, the Holly Center began as the Regional Mental Retardation Center - Eastern Shore (Chapter 435, Acts of 1968). It was renamed the Holly Center in 1973.

The Center is funded to serve a daily average of 196 residents. Residential and training services are offered to individuals with mental retardation and their families residing in the nine counties of the Eastern Shore. Education, training, and habilitation services and programs are provided both in the Center and the community (Code Health - General Article, sec. 7-305).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The seven members of the Board are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND REGION

WESTERN MARYLAND REGION

BRANDENBURG CENTER
P. O. Box 1722
Country Club Road
Cumberland, MD 21502 - 1722

Opened in 1978 as the Thomas B. Finan Center - Mental Retardation Unit, the Center came to be known as Western Maryland II. In 1981, the Center was renamed in memory of Joseph D. Brandenburg, a Cumberland resident who distinguished himself through years of service to persons with mental retardation.

Brandenburg Center is a multipurpose health facility serving the residential needs of individuals with mental retardation in Western Maryland from Garrett to Carroll counties. It is located on the grounds of the Thomas B. Finan Hospital Center. Brandenburg Center provides occupational, physical, speech and hearing therapies; social services; and medical supervision for its clients. It habilitates clients so they may return to the community. The Center is funded for a daily average of 68 people. (Code Health - General Article, sec. 7-305).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Governor, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, appoints the Board's seven members to four-year terms.

POTOMAC CENTER
1380 Marshall St.
Hagerstown, MD 21740

The Potomac Center originated in 1978 as Western Maryland I - Mental Retardation Center. It became the Potomac Center in 1981.

The Center serves as a residence for persons with mental retardation in Western Maryland from Garrett to Carroll counties (Code Health - General Article, sec. 7-305). It provides habilitative services to expedite the return of clients to a less restrictive environment.

Persons of all ages and at all levels of retardation are served by the Center. It is funded to serve a daily average of 117 people.

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Governor, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, appoints the Board's seven members to four-year terms.

Today, local health departments in Maryland's twenty-three counties and Baltimore City are overseen by the Community Health Administration.

FAMILY HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Family Health Administration originated in 1987 under its current name. The Local Health Administration and the Family Health Administration merged in 1989 to form the Local and Family Health Administration. In January 1997, it became the Community and Public Health Administration. That agency in July 2001 divided into the Family Health Administration and the Community Health Administration.

Under the Administration are Deer's Head Center and Western Maryland Center. The Administration also is responsible for the Center for Cancer Surveillance and Control, the Center for Maternal and Child Health, and eight offices: Chronic Disease Prevention and Public Health Residency Program; Genetics and Children with Special Health Care Needs; Health Promotion, Education, and Tobacco Control; Injury and Disability Prevention; Oral Health; Primary Care Services; Public Health Assessment; and Women, Infants and Children Food Program.

DEER'S HEAD CENTER

Authorized in 1945, Deer's Head Center was established in 1950 (Chapter 994, Acts of 1945). It is a regional facility for chronically ill and elderly adults in need of medical and rehabilitation services or general medical care for chronic disease or terminal illness. The Center also operates a kidney dialysis facility for area residents.

The Center provides the services of a chronic disease hospital (including a small hospice service) and a comprehensive care facility, as well as outpatient and end-stage kidney dialysis, and outpatient rehabilitation therapy. The licensed capacity for the Center is 188 hospital beds and 33 comprehensive care beds (Code Health - General Article, sec. 19-502).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
Upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Governor appoints the Board's seven members to four-year terms.

WESTERN MARYLAND CENTER

Western Maryland Center began as Western Maryland State Hospital. Authorized in 1952, the Hospital opened in 1957 (Chapter 53, Acts of 1952).

The Center provides chronic or rehabilitation hospital care, and comprehensive or nursing home care. The Center also offers adult day care; end-stage kidney dialysis; and physical, occupational, and speech rehabilitation to outpatients. It has 60 licensed hospital beds and 63 licensed comprehensive care beds (Code Health - General Article, sec. 19-502).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Board's seven members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

CENTER FOR CANCER SURVEILLANCE & CONTROL

MARYLAND CANCER REGISTRY
The Maryland Cancer Registry was initiated in July 1982. It is an incidence-based electronic database containing demographic, diagnostic and treatment data on Maryland residents and those nonresidents who are diagnosed or treated in Maryland (Code Health - General Article, sec. 18-204). Formerly under the Department of the Environment, the Registry transferred to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 1991. Under contractual agreement with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Registry is operated by Tri-Analytics, Inc., of Bel Air, Maryland.

MARYLAND CANCER REGISTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Following the establishment of the Maryland Cancer Registry in July 1982, the Maryland Cancer Registry Advisory Committee was created. The Committee advises the State Council on Cancer Control on the operation of the Registry.

CENTER FOR MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH

The Center for Maternal and Child Health formed in January 2000 with the merger of the Office of Children's Health and the Office of Maternal Health and Family Planning.

The Office of Children's Health had been known as the Office of Child Health Services since 1989 when it was made part of the Local and Family Health Administration. In 1993, the Office became the Office of Child Health. In 1994, the Office of Child Health and the Office of Children's Medical Services merged to form the Office of Child Health and Children's Medical Services. Renamed the Office of Children's Health in 1995, it became part of the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997 and joined the Family Health Administration in July 2001.

In 1922, the Office of Maternal Health and Family Planning originated as the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and Services to Crippled Children. The Bureau had become the Division of Maternal and Child Health under the Bureau of Preventive Medicine by 1951, under the Bureau of Preventive Medical Services by 1967, and under the Preventive Medicine Administration in 1969. The Division was renamed the Office of Maternal Health, Family Planning, and Hereditary Disorders by 1985. As the Office of Maternal and Child Health it was placed under the Family Health Administration in 1987. The Office joined the Local and Family Health Administration in 1989 and was renamed the Office of Maternal Health and Family Planning in 1990. As part of the Community and Public Health Administration since 1997, it transferred to the Family Health Administration in July 2001.

Since the merger of the Office of Children's Health with the Office of Maternal Health and Family Planning, the Center for Maternal and Child Health has worked to improve the health of women of childbearing age and their babies. With federal and State funds, the Center directs prenatal care and family planning services offered by local health departments and others. The Center also administers special grants to improve the reproductive health of adolescents and introduce new contraceptive techniques into the public health system.

For basic preventive services to safeguard the health of children, the Center administers State and federal funding to the local health department in each county and Baltimore City. These services include immunizations; screening for lead poisoning, vision, hearing and scoliosis; and counseling in basic nutrition. The Center also administers special grants, such as the grant to the University System of Maryland relating to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or grants to Eastern Shore counties for preventive dental care for children. In addition, the Center offers training, consultation, and technical assistance to local health departments and the private sector.

For children whose chronic illnesses or disabling conditions interfere with normal growth and development, the Center helps families plan and obtain specialized medical and rehabilitative care. These conditions include cerebral palsy, orofacial anomalies, speech and language problems, spina bifida, heart disease and defects, hearing impairment, cystic fibrosis, chronic otitis media, chronic renal disease, and epilepsy. Many other diagnoses qualify a child to receive services if financial eligibility requirements also are met (Code of Maryland Regulations - COMAR 10.22.08.05B).

A joint federal, State and local program called Children's Medical Services, formerly Crippled Children's Services, is administered by the Center. While State funding for services to crippled children dates to at least 1922, the program has operated in Maryland since 1937 (Code Health - General Article, sec. 15-125).

Under the Center are Adolescent and Child Health; Community Initiatives and Partnerships; Family Planning and Reproductive Health; and Maternal and Perinatal Health.

MARYLAND STATE SCHOOL HEALTH COUNCIL
c/o Baltimore County Health Department
One Investment Place, 11th floor
Towson, MD 21204 - 4125

The Maryland State School Health Council was formed in 1946 by the State Department of Health and the State Department of Education. Reorganized in 1966, the Council advises the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the State Department of Education on the school health program. The Council helps develop and maintain programs to provide a healthful school environment, health and safety instruction, and school health services. It also serves as a forum for the two State departments, their local counterparts, and other groups concerned with the health of school-age children.

The Council includes two representatives appointed by each of the twenty-four local health and education departments. The Executive Board consists of five members elected by the Council and representatives of health and education agencies; State and local associations; and education organizations.

OFFICE OF CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION & PUBLIC HEALTH RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The Office of Chronic Disease Prevention organized in the 1960s as the Regional Medical Program which later became the Adult Health Program. When the Local and Family Health Administration formed in 1989, the Program reorganized under it as the Office of Chronic Disease Prevention. The Office transferred to the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997, and adopted its current name in 2000.

The Office reduces the risk factors for chronic diseases and injuries and the complications of diabetes; assures tests for early detection and, if appropriate, diagnosis and treatment of disease. The Office also provides information to the public on rehabilitative services, treatment options for breast cancer, and breast reconstruction.

Under the Office are two divisions: Cardiovascular Health and Nutrition; and Diabetes Control.

STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ARTHRITIS & RELATED DISEASES
The State Advisory Council on Arthritis and Related Diseases started as the State Commission on Arthritis and Related Diseases in 1985 (Chapter 250, Acts of 1985). The Council received its present name and was placed under the Local and Family Health Administration in 1992 (Chapter 71, Acts of 1992). In 1997, the Administration became the Community and Public Health Administration.

The Council advises the Department on implementation of the Arthritis Prevention and Control Program, which was created in October 2002 (Chapter 215, Acts of 2002). In establishing the Program, the General Assembly considered the fact that arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting nearly one out of every six people. Through the Program, the Council trains teachers, and health-care professionals and providers about how to prevent and control arthritis. The Council also educates consumers about the importance of early diagnosis of arthritis, its causes and prevention.

To improve the quality of life for arthritic individuals and their families, the Council coordinates the activities of public and private agencies, medical schools, and related professional groups. The Council recommends ways to limit costs associated with arthritis prevention and treatment, and vocational training, as well as to improve services. The Council also develops and coordinates programs for vocational rehabilitation and industry to help arthritic individuals remain productive in the work force.

Through studies and proposals, the Council devises a State program of education and applied research in gerontology and geriatrics. The development of a strategic plan of patient education throughout Maryland is coordinated by the Council. The plan involves State and local health departments, private agencies, pharmaceutical companies, medical schools, and professional organizations.

The Council's fifteen members are appointed by the Governor, who names the chair. Members serve four-year terms (Code Health - General Article, secs. 13-501 through 13-506).

STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HEART DISEASE & STROKE
The State Advisory Council on Heart Disease and Stroke originated as the Commission on High Blood Pressure in 1976 (Chapter 792, Acts of 1976). It became the State Commission on High Blood Pressure and Related Cardiovascular Risk Factors in 1986 (Chapter 486, Acts of 1986). In 1992, it reorganized as the State Advisory Council on High Blood Pressure and Related Cardiovascular Risk Factors and was placed under the Local and Family Health Administration (Chapter 71, Acts of 1992). The Administration became the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997. The Council reorganized as the State Advisory Council on Heart Disease and Stroke in 2001 (Chapter 238, Acts of 2001).

Guidelines to manage and treat heart disease and stroke are established by the Council. To detect, prevent, and treat these conditions, the Council also develops and promotes educational programs targeted for those at high-risk and for geographic areas with high incidences of heart disease and stroke.

Educational programs on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of heart disease and stroke in Maryland are developed and promoted by the Council.

The Council's twenty-four members are appointed by the Governor to four-year terms (Code Health - General Article, secs. 13-201 through 13-206).

OSTEOPOROSIS PREVENTION & EDUCATION TASK FORCE
The Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Task Force was created in October 2002 (Chapter 443, Acts of 2002).

OFFICE FOR GENETICS & CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

The first programs of the Office for Genetics and Children with Special Health Care Needs were initiated in 1964. These programs were assigned to the Division of Hereditary Disorders in 1973. Reorganized as the Office of Hereditary Disorders in 1990, the Office was placed under Family Health Services and Primary Care in 1997, and received its present name in March 2000.

The Office works to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by genetic disorders and birth defects. The newborn screening program coordinated by the Office provides alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing to pregnant women; screens nearly every newborn baby in Maryland for birth defects; treats genetic metabolic diseases and hemoglobin disorders, including sickle cell disease; and provides clinical services for other genetic disorders. The Office also maintains a reporting and information system on genetic disorders and birth defects to collect data and give information to parents of children with disorders and defects. Educational programs on genetics and genetic services are offered by the Office to health professionals, educators, and the general public.

STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HEREDITARY & CONGENITAL DISORDERS
In 1973, the State Advisory Council on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders formed as the Commission on Hereditary Disorders (Chapter 695, Acts of 1973). It became the State Commission on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders in 1986 (Chapter 740, Acts of 1986). Renamed the State Advisory Council on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders, it was placed under the Local and Family Health Administration in 1992 (Chapter 71, Acts of 1992). In 1997, the Administration reformed as the Community and Public Health Administration.

Information on the treatment of hereditary and congenital disorders in Maryland is gathered and disseminated by the Council. It also establishes and promulgates rules, regulations, and standards for the detection and management of these disorders. On a continuous basis, it evaluates the need for and efficiency of relevant State programs. For the public and providers of health services, the Council also institutes and supervises educational programs and counseling on hereditary and congenital disorders, their treatment and prevention.

The Council is composed of eleven voting members and five nonvoting members. Those voting serve four-year terms. They include nine members appointed by the Governor, one senator named by the Senate President, and one delegate chosen by the House Speaker. The nonvoting members are appointed by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene (Code Health - General Article, secs. 13-103 through 13-109).

DIVISION OF INFANT HEARING SCREENING
The Division of Infant Hearing Screening conducts the Program to Identify Hearing-Impaired Infants. This program was established under the Developmental Disabilities Administration in 1985 (Chapter 402, Acts of 1985). In 1990, the Program transferred to the Office of Children's Medical Services and, in 1992, to the Office of Children's Health within the Local and Family Health Administration. In 1995, the Program became part of the Office of Child Health, which moved under the Community and Public Health Services Administration in 1997. The Program was placed under the Office of Hereditary Disorders in 1998, and under the Office for Genetics and Children with Special Health Care Needs in 2000. It became part of the Family Health Administration in July 2001.

The Program provides early identification and follow-up of hearing-impaired infants and infants who are at risk of developing a hearing impairment. Since 1999, the Program has been required to help develop protocols for the universal screening of newborns' hearing (Chapter 127, Acts of 1999).

ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY HEARING-IMPAIRED INFANTS
In 1985, the Advisory Council for Program to Identify Hearing-Impaired Infants started (Chapter 402, Acts of 1985). The Council advises the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on implementing the Program and on educational programs for families, professionals, and the public. The Council also reviews Program materials distributed by the Department.

The Council consists of eleven members appointed by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to four-year terms (Code Health - General Article, secs. 13-601 through 13-605).

OFFICE OF HEALTH PROMOTION, EDUCATION, & TOBACCO CONTROL

In November 1993, the Office of Health Promotion, Education, and Tobacco Control formed from the Division of Health Education as the Office of Health Promotion, Education, and Tobacco Use Prevention. It received its present name in 1997.

The Office is responsible for six programs: Health in Pregnancy, a smoking cessation program; the Maryland Arthritis Project; Maryland Kids in Safety Seats (Maryland KISS); Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH); Rape and Sexual Assault Program; and Tobacco Use Prevention. Initiatives of the Office enable individuals and institutions to change behaviors in health-enhancing ways.

Maryland Arthritis Project. Funded for two years by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this Project began in September 1999. It is setting up a surveillance system to collect epidemiological data on arthritis and related rheumatic conditions; formulating the Maryland State Arthritis Plan; and working to expand the role of the State Advisory Council on Arthritis and Related Diseases.

Maryland Kids in Safety Seats Program. To ensure children's safety as passengers in vehicles, this program began in 1980. It educates the public about what State law requires for child safety seats and restraints, and how to properly install and use them. A newsletter containing product information on child safety seats, product recalls, safety tips, instructions on proper installation, and related issues is published by the Program. To offer low-income families access to child safety seats, the Program also coordinates loaner programs statewide.

Tobacco Use Prevention Program. This program funds local school districts and health departments in their tobacco use prevention and cessation efforts. It support media campaigns on clean indoor air and smoke-free environments and other community programs that educate the public about tobacco use.

OFFICE OF INJURY & DISABILITY PREVENTION

Organized in 1993, the Office of Injury and Disability Prevention works to prevent death and disabilities caused by injuries. The Office gathers data on the number, nature, and risk factors of injuries occurring in Maryland; creates, coordinates, and evaluates prevention programs for at-risk populations or behaviors; and develops education and training programs for injury prevention.

Data collection and health surveillance activities of the Office include the Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES). The System covers motor vehicle crash and medical outcome data identifying medical and financial consequences of vehicular accidents to prevent or reduce such accidents. The Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance System collects Maryland statistics on incidences, severity, and outcome of traumatic brain injuries. The Disabled Individuals Reporting System (DIRS) is notified by hospitals when an individual is discharged with a potentially disabling condition. The System ensures that such individuals are provided with information and referrals to prevent residual disability.

The Office's Baltimore Urban Residential Neighborhood Smoke-detector Project (BURNS) works to reduce the fire and burn-related death rate in Baltimore City, significantly higher than the national average. High-risk households are identified, supplied with smoke detectors, and checked annually.

STATE BOARD OF SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH
In July 2000, the State Board of Spinal Cord Injury Research was authorized (Chapter 512, Acts of 2000).

OFFICE OF ORAL HEALTH

The Office of Oral Health focuses on improving the oral health of Marylanders and increasing their access to oral health care. The Office develops educational materials, including brochures on oral cancer, brushing and flossing techniques, healthy eating habits, and a children's guide to healthy oral habits. The Office also grants local health departments funds to develop oral health education and prevention programs and for community water fluoridation. To increase the number of dentists serving in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, the Office works with the University of Maryland Dental School.

Under the Office are the Maryland Dental-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program and the Oral Cancer Prevention Pilot Program. The Office also is served by the Oral Health Advisory Committee.

ORAL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Oral Health Advisory Committee was created in May 1998 to address concerns about access to oral health care for Marylanders in HealthChoice. In 2000, the Committee was asked to recommend to the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene strategies for reducing the oral cancer mortality rate in Maryland (Chapter 307, Acts of 2000).

OFFICE OF PRIMARY CARE & RURAL HEALTH

The Office works through seven programs: the J-1 Visa Waiver Program; the Primary Care Cooperative Agreement; the Office of Rural Health; the Loan Assistance Repayment Program; Maryland PrimaryCare; the Maryland State Home Health Agency; and the Pro Bono Dental Program.

OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

For the Administration and local health departments, the Office provides data management, planning, statistical and epidemiologic advice. The Office also conducts disease surveillance to help plan programs, devise policy, and determine research needs.

In cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the Office conducts the Maryland Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. It manages the voluntary Abortion Surveillance System and conducts on-site reviews of local health departments. The Office also directs the writing, review, and use of annual local health department plans; develops and monitors Operational Plan objectives for the Family Health Administration; and publishes annually the Local and Family Health Surveillance Data Book. In addition, the Office designs personal computer systems for tracking high risk infants; and provides special analyses for programs, such as Data-based Intervention Grants, Sample Size Requirements, and the Needs Assessments required by the federal Social Security law governing Maternal and Child Health Block Grants (Title V, sec. 501).

OFFICE OF WOMEN, INFANTS & CHILDREN FOOD PROGRAM

Created by the Department in 1985, the Office of Women, Infants and Children Food Program joined the Family Health Administration in 1987. That administration was renamed the Local and Family Health Administration in 1989, the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997, and again the Family Health Administration in July 2001.

Maryland Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The Program offers health and nutrition services, including supplemental foods, to pregnant, postpartum and breast-feeding women; infants to one year of age; and children to their fifth birthday. To be eligible, an individual also must meet income requirements and be at nutritional risk.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Program is administered by the Office of Women, Infants and Children Food Program through grants to eighteen local agencies that serve the entire State. Each local agency determines recipient eligibility, prescribes individualized food packages, provides nutrition education, prepares required records and reports, and issues food instruments (negotiable checks used in exchange for approved foods). The Office ensures that Maryland's program accords with federal requirements (P.L. 95-627).

LABORATORIES ADMINISTRATION

The Laboratories Administration was formed by the Department as the Community Health Surveillance and Laboratories Administration in 1987 and received its present name in January 1997. The Administration is responsible for the Office of Drug Control; and Laboratories.

OFFICE OF DRUG CONTROL

In 1951, the Office originated as the Division of Drug Control within the Bureau of Environmental Hygiene. Later transferred to the Office of Licensing and Certification, the Division of Drug Control reorganized in 1987 as the Office of Drug Control and joined the Community Health Surveillance and Laboratories Administration. The Administration was renamed the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997.

The Office enforces the Controlled Dangerous Substance Act and ensures the availability of drugs for legitimate medical and scientific purposes while working to prevent drug abuse (Code 1957, Art. 27, secs. 276-302). Office programs focus on physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, and nonpharmacy establishments.

LABORATORIES

Formerly the Laboratories Administration, Laboratories became part of the Community Health Surveillance and Laboratories Administration in 1987. The Administration was renamed the Community and Public Health Administration in 1997.

The Office has broad responsibilities for laboratory testing to help physicians and health officials prevent, diagnose, and control human diseases. The Office performs examinations in connection with the enforcement of State health laws, and the chemical, microbiological, and radiological surveillance of the environment related to foods, waters, sewage, air, pharmaceuticals, and hazardous wastes. Laboratory tests are conducted to support State occupational safety and health regulations and to enforce pure food and drug laws.

To ensure the quality of laboratory services, the Office develops standards and regulations for medical laboratories, tissue banks, and physician office laboratories. It also certifies and periodically inspects laboratories that examine water and dairy products for shipment out of Maryland.

In addition to a central laboratory in Baltimore and three regional laboratories, the Office oversees eight divisions: Administrative and Support Systems; Diagnostic and Public Health Microbiology; Environmental Chemistry; Microbiology; Molecular Biology; Newborn and Childhood Laboratory Screening; Quality Assurance, Safety, and Training; and Virology and Immunology.

LABORATORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Authorized in 1989, the Laboratory Advisory Committee advises the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene on matters relating to medical laboratories (Chapter 330, Acts of 1989).

The Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene appoints Committee members to two-year terms and names the chair.

MENTAL HYGIENE ADMINISTRATION

The Mental Hygiene Administration originated in 1886 as the State Lunacy Commission (Chapter 487, Acts of 1886). The Commission inspected public and private institutions for the insane and advised their boards of managers. In 1922, the Commission was replaced by the Board of Mental Hygiene (Chapter 29, Acts of 1922). The Board, in turn, was superseded by the Department of Mental Hygiene in 1949 (Chapter 685, Acts of 1949). Not only was the Board of Mental Hygiene abolished in 1949, but so also were the separate governing boards of the State mental hospitals. In that year, the Department of Mental Hygiene became responsible for the custody, care, and treatment of mentally ill persons. The Department of Mental Hygiene became part of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 1969 and subsequently reorganized as the Mental Hygiene Administration (Chapter 77, Acts of 1969).

The Administration oversees the Public Mental Health System by planning, setting policy, and allocating resources. To ensure that Marylanders receive appropriate treatment, the Administration provides mental health services both in the community and through institutions.

Eight psychiatric hospitals are overseen by the Administration:

Walter P. Carter Center (Baltimore City)
Crownsville Hospital Center (Anne Arundel County)
Eastern Shore Hospital Center (Dorchester County)
Thomas B. Finan Hospital Center (Allegany County)
Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center (Howard County)
Spring Grove Hospital Center (Baltimore County)
Springfield Hospital Center (Carroll County)
Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center (Kent County)

The Administration also is responsible for the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, and three residential treatment centers for youth:

Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents - Baltimore
John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents - Rockville
Regional Institute for Children & Adolescents - Southern Maryland

The Director of Mental Hygiene heads the Administration. Certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the Director is appointed by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene. With the approval of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Director of Mental Hygiene is empowered to make State grants-in-aid to further community mental health services (Chapter 125, Acts of 1966). The Director supervises programs receiving these grants-in-aid (Code Health - General Article, secs. 10-101 through 10-1203). Local mental health advisory committees also are authorized for each county and Baltimore City (Code Health - General Article, secs. 10-308 through 10-312).

MARYLAND ADVISORY COUNCIL ON MENTAL HYGIENE
In 1976, the Maryland Advisory Council on Mental Hygiene was created (Chapter 746, Acts of 1976). It advises the Mental Hygiene Administration on the social, economic and medical problems of mental hygiene.

The Council's eighteen members are appointed by the Governor for three-year terms (Code Health - General Article, secs. 10-301 through 10-305).

WALTER P. CARTER CENTER

The Walter P. Carter Center first offered community mental health services to Baltimore City residents in 1967. Now, these services include inpatient and outpatient care, partial hospitalization, and emergency services. Psychiatric emergency service for area residents is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Consultation and education services are provided to community agencies (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

The Center also maintains three units at other sites that provide treatment for adults, adolescents, and children: Benson Avenue Outpatient Clinic, Carruthers Clinic, and Cherry Hill Clinic.

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Board's seven members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

CROWNSVILLE HOSPITAL CENTER

Crownsville Hospital Center originated as the Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland in 1910 (Chapter 250, Acts of 1910). The Hospital opened to patients in 1911 and was renamed Crownsville State Hospital in 1912 (Chapter 187, Acts of 1912). It desegregated in 1949 (Chapter 685, Acts of 1949).

Patients with mental illness from Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's and Prince George's counties are admitted by the Center. To adolescents from the Eastern Shore, the Center provides acute inpatient psychiatric services. The facility is funded for a daily average of 297 patients (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
Appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Board's eleven members serve four-year terms (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-411).

EASTERN SHORE HOSPITAL CENTER

Eastern Shore Hospital Center began in 1912 as Eastern Shore State Hospital (Chapter 187, Acts of 1912). Built on the banks of the Choptank River, the Hospital admitted its first patients in 1915. In August 2001, that original hospital was replaced by a new 80-bed facility in Cambridge.

The Center cares for patients with mental illness who reside on the lower Eastern Shore. The facility is funded for a daily average of 80 patients (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Governor appoints the Board's eleven members to four-year terms upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

THOMAS B. FINAN HOSPITAL CENTER

Opened in October 1978, the Thomas B. Finan Hospital Center is a multi-purpose psychiatric facility which serves Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington county residents of all ages with mental illnesses (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406). Services extend as well to youth from Carroll, Howard and Montgomery counties.

The Center is staffed to accommodate and treat 72 adult and 24 geriatric patients, and 23 adolescents in small, 25-bed cottages. It also includes three cottages that house treatment programs for addicts. These are operated by the Allegany County Health Department. The one-cottage Massie Unit, licensed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to the County Health Department, treats adults who abuse drugs and alcohol. The two-cottage Jackson Unit, licensed by the Department of Juvenile Justice to the County Health Department, treats juveniles with substance abuse problems or children in need of supervision. Another cottage is leased to Archway Station, Inc., as a 16-bed rehabilitation apartment complex. Also on the grounds of the Finan Center, the Joseph D. Brandenburg Center serves persons with mental retardation through programs of the Developmental Disabilities Administration.

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
Upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Governor appoints the Board's seven members to four-year terms.

CLIFTON T. PERKINS HOSPITAL CENTER

The Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center is the State's only maximum security hospital. Formally established in 1959 as Maximum Security Hospital, it was placed under the Department of Mental Hygiene. In April 1960, the Hospital was renamed to honor Dr. Clifton T. Perkins, Commissioner of Mental Hygiene from 1950 to 1959 (Chapter 814, Acts of 1959). Dr. Perkins had planned and defined the function of the Hospital but died before it opened early in 1960.

Patients referred by the courts of Maryland for pretrial psychiatric evaluation are treated by the Center. It is a residence for individual offenders who have been found not guilty by reason of insanity. The Center also serves as a hospital for prisoners who become mentally ill and require involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. Prisoners are committed to the Center for an indefinite length of time and only can be released upon the authorization of a judge. From other State psychiatric hospitals, the Center also accepts patients whose illness requires maximum security treatment for a period of time. The Center is funded to serve a daily average of 250 patients (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Board's seven members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

MARYLAND PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH CENTER

Opened in 1968, the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center is located on the grounds of Spring Grove Hospital Center (Chapter 558, Acts of 1967). The University of Maryland, Baltimore, operates the Research Center under an agreement with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The Center studies the causes and treatment of major psychotic illnesses, especially schizophrenia. It trains graduate and postgraduate students in psychiatric and behavioral sciences research. Research fields include brain development, neurochemistry, electrophysiology, environmental and biological stress factors, pschopharmacology, substance abuse, neurobiology of social behavior, and neuroanatomy (Code Health - General Article, secs. 10-417 through 10-429).

EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board for the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center consists of five ex officio members (Code Health - General Article, secs. 10-419 through 10-422).

TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
The Technical Review Committee for the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center consists of eleven members. Six are named by the Executive Board and three serve ex officio (Code Health - General Article, secs. 10-426 through 10-429).

SPRING GROVE HOSPITAL CENTER

Spring Grove Hospital Center is the oldest hospital for the mentally ill in Maryland, and the third oldest in the United States. It was established in 1797 as the Maryland Hospital at Monument Street and Broadway in Baltimore City (Chapter 102, Acts of 1797). In 1872, the Hospital moved to Catonsville as the Maryland Hospital for the Insane. It was renamed Spring Grove State Hospital in 1912 (Chapter 187, Acts of 1912).

With 295 inpatient beds and 62 assisted-living beds, the Center provides acute, subacute and long-term psychiatric care to adult and geriatric patients from Baltimore City, and Baltimore and Harford counties. For those jurisdictions, the Center also conducts evaluations to determine competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Board's nine members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-411).

SPRINGFIELD HOSPITAL CENTER

Springfield Hospital Center formed in 1894 as the Second Hospital for the Insane of the State of Maryland (Chapter 231, Acts of 1894). The Hospital opened for patients in 1896. It was renamed Springfield State Hospital in 1900 (Chapter 70, Acts of 1900).

A regional psychiatric facility, the Center admits patients from northern Baltimore City and Carroll, Howard and Montgomery counties, as well as mentally ill deaf patients statewide. The Center is the largest State facility for the care of persons with mental illness, with a licensed capacity of 522 beds. (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Governor, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, appoints the seven members of the Board to four-year terms.

UPPER SHORE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

Opened in 1982, the Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center is a multipurpose mental health hospital. It serves a daily average of 43 patients and provides psychiatric services for eligible persons, 16 years of age and older, from Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties. The Center also holds a 15-bed juvenile detention center and a 20-bed intermediate care unit for alcoholics over the age of 18 (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-406).

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The Governor appoints the Board's seven members to four-year terms upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-411).

ADULT & ELDERLY SERVICES

CHILD & ADOLESCENT SERVICES

REGIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS - BALTIMORE
605 South Chapel Gate Lane
Baltimore, MD 21229

The Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents - Baltimore opened in 1958. Formerly on the grounds of Rosewood State Hospital in Baltimore County, the Institute moved to southwest Baltimore, near the U.S. National Cemetery, in the early 1970s.

Serving Baltimore City and Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, the Institute provides intensive inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care for youths with serious emotional illnesses. The Institute is funded for a daily average of 37 residential patients and 50 day patients.

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
Upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Governor appoints the Board's seven members to four-year terms.

JOHN L. GILDNER REGIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS - ROCKVILLE
15000 Broschart Road
Rockville, MD 20850

In 1980, the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents - Rockville received its first patients. On May 9, 2001, the Institute was renamed for its founding chief executive officer, John L. Gildner, who died in November 1999. The Institute provides treatment and education services to children and adolescents aged 6 to 20 years with severe emotional disabilities from Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's and Washington counties. It offers an intensive diagnostic and treatment unit, and residential and day treatment. Educational services are provided by the Montgomery County Department of Education. The Institute is funded to serve an average daily population of 45 young people in residence and 90 children between the ages of 5 and 18 in day treatment.

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
The seven-member Board is appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene.

REGIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS - SOUTHERN MARYLAND
P. O. Box 369
9400 Surratts Road
Cheltenham, MD 20623

The Regional Institute opened as Cheltenham Center in 1976. Then, it was funded by a State grant from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene through the Prince George's County Health Department. In 1982, the Center became a State institution renamed the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents - Prince George's County (Chapter 891, Acts of 1982). Since 1989, it has been known as the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents - Southern Maryland. The Institute serves boys and girls with serious emotional disturbances. They are ages 12 to 18 years old, from Calvert, Charles, Prince George's and St. Mary's counties.

Youth reside at the Institute for an average of eight months. Some day students receive therapy and schooling at the Institute but live at home. The Institute, in FY1999, served a daily average of 29 youths, including students referred by the court for evaluation and young people who receive day treatment.

CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
Appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Board has eleven members who serve four-year terms (Code Health - General Article, sec. 10-411).

FORENSIC SERVICES

OFFICE OF CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner oversees a network of local deputy medical examiners and forensic investigators who investigate violent and suspicious deaths, and deaths unattended by physicians. These duties had been the responsibility first of local sheriffs, and then of local coroners from 1666 to the end of the nineteenth century. Then, they were assumed by justices of the peace. In 1939, these functions were assigned to deputy medical examiners (Chapter 369, Acts of 1939).

With the State Postmortem Examiners Commission, the Chief Medical Examiner appoints physicians as deputy medical examiners and forensic investigators in each county. The deputy medical examiners file with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner reports of all deaths investigated. Records of the Office are open for inspection to the family of the deceased and are acceptable in court as evidence of the facts contained.

The Chief Medical Examiner performs autopsies and provides the local state's attorney with copies of records concerning any death which requires further investigation. Appointed by the State Postmortem Examiners Commission, the Chief Medical Examiner oversees Administration, Autopsy Services, Statewide Services, Toxicology, and the Center for the Study of Health Effects of Fire.

STATE POSTMORTEM EXAMINERS COMMISSION
Created in 1939, the Department of Postmortem Examiners replaced a decentralized system of local coroners (Chapter 69, Acts of 1939). In 1982, the Department was subsumed into the State Postmortem Examiners Commission (Chapter 21, Acts of 1982).

The State Postmortem Examiners Commission is composed of four ex officio members and a representative of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene selected by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Commission appoints all professional personnel (Code Health - General Article, secs. 5-301 through 5-312).

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF FIRE
111 Penn St., 3rd floor
Baltimore, MD 21201

The Center for the Study of the Health Effects of Fire was created in 1988 (Chapter 185, Acts of 1988). The Center studies the health effects of exposure to fire; gathers and analyzes data on fire-related injury or death; and maintains both a registry of persons who suffer fire-related injury or death, and a computerized database concerning injuries and health effects of fire. For information routinely collected about fires, the Center is a repository. Information collected by the Center and intended for use in research, however, is confidential and not discoverable or admissible as evidence in a civil or criminal action to determine cause of death or liability for injury or death.

Pilot studies on issues or factors affecting injuries from or the health effects of fire are funded by the Center which also applies for federal or private research grants to investigate such issues. In addition, the Center communicates with national scientific data bases on toxicology, chemistry, epidemiology, and related scientific disciplines; collaborates with agencies, such as the National Bureau of Standards, that are involved in programs related to health effects of fire; and promotes interest in fire-related issues at educational institutions in Maryland (Code Health - General Article, secs. 18-701 through 18-711).

ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF FIRE
The Advisory Council to the Center for the Study of the Health Effects of Fire reviews the work of the Center for the Study of Health Effects of Fire. The Council also advises the Director concerning the scientific evaluation of information collected by the Center and helps the Center set research priorities.

The Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene appoints the Council's seven members to five-year terms (Code Health - General Article, secs. 18-706 through 18-710).

TOXICOLOGY

STATE ANATOMY BOARD

Authorized in 1947, the State Anatomy Board was organized in 1949 (Chapter 669, Acts of 1947). The Board's purpose is to ensure the proper distribution of cadavers to qualified hospitals, medical schools, and other agencies engaged in medical education and research. Bodies are distributed equitably to the anatomy department of each medical school in Maryland. The Board also carries out the legal provisions regulating Consent to Post Mortem Examination (Chapter 315, Acts of 1961) and the Anatomical Gift Act (Chapter 467, Acts of 1968).

The Board consists of two representatives from each of the departments of anatomy of medical schools in the State of Maryland and one representative of the Department of Anatomy of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. Members of the Board are designated by the administrative officers of each school (Code Health - General Article, secs. 5-401 through 5-409).

Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance

Maryland Manual On-Line

Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@mdarchives.state.md.us