Public health infrastructure provides the capacity to prevent disease, promote health, and prepare for and respond to both acute threats and chronic challenges to health. Infrastructure is the foundation for planning, delivering, evaluating, and improving public health.¹

As of 2023, New Jersey has 102 local health departments throughout the state, which comprise any municipal local health department, contracting local health department, regional health commission, or county health department, administered by a full-time licensed health officer.  Each local health department is responsible for the administration of public health services to the municipalities it serves, as described in N.J.A.C. 8:52, Public Health Practice Standards of Performance for Local Boards of Health in New Jersey.

Final Assessment

One of three Public Health Infrastructure targets was achieved by 2020. 

1. Four (21%) of New Jersey's nineteen community colleges were offering public health or related associate degrees and/or certificate programs by 2015.  In 2017, that number increased to five (26%), thereby exceeding the target of 20 percent. 
2. Ninety-four percent of local health agencies were actively participating in county-wide community public health partnerships based on responses to the Health Education and Promotion Survey from 97 of the state's 103 local health departments^† in 2018.  The survey was not conducted in 2019 or 2020 because local health departments were fully engaged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
3. Only four of the state's 99 local health departments^† had achieved voluntary national accreditation by 2020.  The accredited local health departments are Township of Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services (accredited in 2015), Camden County Health Department (2017), Princeton Health Department (2018), and Montgomery Township Health Department (2020).  Monmouth County Regional Health Commission #1 became accredited in 2022 and Clifton Health Department in 2023.

^† The number of local health departments changes from time to time.

For more information, please refer to these resources:

• NJDOH Office of Local Public Health
• NJ Public Health Associations
• CDC Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support
• Inventory of Degree and Certificate Program Offerings at New Jersey Institutions of Higher Education
• Public Health Accreditation Board
• Region 2 Public Health Training Center
• Healthy People 2020

Reference:

1. Public Health Infrastructure.  Healthy People 2020.  5/27/21