We are the home of the country's first medical school, the University of Pennsylvania, and the first medical school for women, now the Medical College for Women at Drexel. The Philadelphia Board of health, one of the first public health departments in the U.S., was formed in 1793 to respond to a devastating yellow fever outbreak that claimed the lives of nearly 10 percent of the population. 

Founded in 1905, the state Department of Health has played a critical role in meeting the commonwealth's public health challenges. During World War II, the Department established a maternity and infant care program for wives and children of servicemen in the military's lowest pay grades. From 1942-46, care was provided to more than 72,000 individuals. When Hurricane Agnes ravaged the state in 1972, the Department and the commonwealth's doctors, nurses and social workers set up medical stations and an extensive pharmaceutical supply to get the citizens healthy and back to normal life again. 

Today, the Department of Health builds upon this history to protect the public health and to ensure that all Pennsylvanians receive quality services. Every day the Department's epidemiologists, nurses and laboratory specialists work tirelessly to detect and contain disease outbreaks. Whether it is food-borne salmonella or e coli, pertusis in a school setting or hepatitis B infections in a nursing home, DOH leads the disease investigation and response to protect our citizens. DOH also licenses and regulates the majority of healthcare facilities in the state. The quality of care provided in our hospitals, nursing homes and out-patient facilities cannot be taken for granted. DOH constantly responds to our consumer complaints and inspects facilities for compliance with state and federal law. The future health of our residents will depend on our collective ability to lower the costs of chronic disease. Building on the Governor's Chronic Care initiatives, DOH will strengthen our programs to prevent disease, improve wellness in schools, worksites and communities.

It is my honor to serve as the 25th Secretary of Health. Together, we can work to live healthy, happy and productive lives.