Calvert County Health Department

About Our Agency: State

Under the United States constitutional system of government each of the fifty states exercises, as part of its police powers, primary responsibility for protecting the health of its citizens through a variety of public health activities.  In Maryland, public health authority is vested in the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, who is appointed by the governor with approval by the State Legislature.  The Secretary is a member of the Governor’s cabinet and heads the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  In addition to arranging for financing of health services for low-income Marylanders, the Department provides a variety of public health services at the state level under direction of the Deputy Secretary for Public Health.  At the local level, public health services are provided by county health departments and the health department of Baltimore City.  Although not administratively part of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, each county health department, headed by a Health Officer, operates under the general supervision of the Department.