Section 641.170.4. Director of the department of public health.

The director is the chief administrative officer of the department, and in that capacity is responsible for the programs and services of the department. The director provides the department with national exposure and works with policymakers in both Iowa and Washington, D.C.

       170.4(1) The following are the duties and responsibilities of the director. The director:

        a.           Oversees the establishment of the administrative organization;

        b.           Makes recommendations to the state board of health;

        c.           Oversees the adoption of rules for the implementation of statutes;

        d.           Serves as secretary to the state board of health;

        e.           Serves as spokesperson and advocate for public health across the state of Iowa, regionally and nationally;

        f.            Acts as a liaison to local boards of health, local public health administrators, health care providers, and consumers;

        g.           Represents the department in a variety of state and national organizations; and

        h.           Serves as the incident commander during public health emergencies and disasters.

       170.4(2) Acting director.

        a.           The director may appoint an employee of the department to serve as acting director, who shall have all the powers and duties of the director.

        b.           The director may appoint more than one acting director, but only one acting director shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the director at any time.

[ARC 8663B, IAB 4/7/10, effective 5/12/10]