Florida Department of Health

The Florida Department of Health is Florida’s state public health agency, with a central office in Tallahassee and responsibilities throughout the state. It coordinates public health work through state programs and 67 county health departments. Its organization includes children’s medical services, medical quality assurance, disability determinations and public health laboratories. The department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics issues birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates. The State Surgeon General serves as the state health officer and leads the agency. The Legislature established the department in 1996, following a longer history of state public health administration.