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Mission Statement:

To foster & assure excellence in public health for residents of South Brunswick Township.

Every municipality in New Jersey is required by law (N.J.S.A. 26:3-1) to have a Board of Health responsible for enacting ordinances and making rules and regulations in the interest of protecting and improving the public health of the community. In South Brunswick the Township Council is the Board of Health and, in addition, has established an Advisory Board of Health to recommend measures to meet the health needs of the community.

The implementation and enforcement of ordinances, policies and public health recommendations is the role of the Health Department appointed by the Board of Health. The Health Department is also delegated the responsibility of compliance with the state Public Health Practice Standards within the community. These standards are based on the Core Function of Public Health and the 10 Essential Health Services as defined by C.D.C. (Center for Disease Control).

The Core Functions of Public Health are Assessment, Policy Development and Assurance.

The 10 Essential Health Services include

1. Monitor health status to identify community health problems
2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
3. Inform, educate and empower people about health issues
4. Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
8. Assure a competent public health and personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population-based health services
10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems

Specific functions include health inspections of restaurants, public pools and septic systems, health clinics (including flu clinics and hypertension screenings), communicable disease investigations, health education services and vital statistics services.