As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
1. Accreditation. "Accreditation" means a national federally recognized credentialing process resulting in the approval of a public health system or a municipal health department by a national federally recognized review board certifying that a public health system or a municipal health department has met specific performance requirements and standards. Accreditation provides quality assurance, credibility and accountability to the public, to government officials and to public health fund sources. As applicable to a tribal health department or health clinic, "accreditation" means a recognized credentialing process by a national federally recognized review board for Indian health.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (AMD).]
1-A. Associate health officer. "Associate health officer" means a municipal employee who has knowledge of the community and meets the educational, training and experience standards established by the local health officer.
[PL 2023, c. 46, §1 (NEW).]
2. Comprehensive community health coalition. "Comprehensive community health coalition" means a multisector coalition that serves a defined local geographic area and is composed of designated organizational representatives and interested community members who share a commitment to improving their communities' health and quality of life and that includes public health in its core mission.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
3. District coordinating council for public health. "District coordinating council for public health" means a representative districtwide body of local public health stakeholders working toward collaborative public health planning and coordination to ensure effectiveness and efficiencies in the public health system.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
4. District public health unit. "District public health unit" means a unit of public health staff set up whenever possible in a district in department offices. A staff must include when possible public health nurses, field epidemiologists, drinking water engineers, health inspectors and district public health liaisons.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
5. District. "District" means one of the 8 districts of the department, including Aroostook District, composed of Aroostook County; Penquis District, composed of Penobscot County and Piscataquis County; Downeast District, composed of Washington County and Hancock County; Midcoast District, composed of Waldo County, Lincoln County, Knox County and Sagadahoc County; Central District, composed of Kennebec County and Somerset County; Western District, composed of Androscoggin County, Franklin County and Oxford County; Cumberland District, composed of Cumberland County; and York District, composed of York County, and the tribal district, composed of any lands belonging to the Indian tribes in the State and including any member of a tribe living outside of tribal lands.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (AMD).]
6. Essential public health services. "Essential public health services" means core public health functions identified by a national public health performance standards program, a national federally recognized review board or a national federally recognized review board for Indian health that help provide the guiding framework for the work and accreditation of public health systems or municipal health departments.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (AMD).]
7. Health risk assessment. "Health risk assessment" means a customized process by which an individual confidentially responds to questions and receives a feedback report to help that individual understand the individual's personal risks of developing preventable health problems, know what preventive actions the individual can take and learn what local and state resources are available to help the individual take these actions.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
8. Healthy Maine Partnerships. "Healthy Maine Partnerships" means a statewide system of comprehensive community health coalitions that meet the standards for department funding that is established under section 412, including the tribal district.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (AMD).]
8-A. Indian tribe. "Indian tribe" or "tribe" means a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band in the State.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (NEW).]
9. Local health officer. "Local health officer" means a municipal employee who has knowledge of the employee's community and meets educational, training and experience standards as set by the department in rule to comply with section 451.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
10. Municipal health department. "Municipal health department" means a health department or division that is established pursuant to municipal charter or ordinance in accordance with Title 30‑A, chapter 141 and accredited by a national federally recognized credentialing process.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
11. Statewide Coordinating Council for Public Health. "Statewide Coordinating Council for Public Health" means the council established under Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 14‑G.
[PL 2009, c. 355, §5 (NEW).]
12. Tribal district. "Tribal district" means an administrative district established in a memorandum of understanding or legal contract among all Indian tribes in the State that is recognized by the department. The tribal district's jurisdiction includes tribal lands, tribal health departments or health clinics and members of the tribes anywhere in the State.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (NEW).]
13. Tribal health department or health clinic. "Tribal health department or health clinic" means a health department or health clinic managed by an Indian tribe that is eligible for funds from the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service and other federal funds. For the purposes of this subsection, each director of a tribal health department or health clinic has a tribal role and a role defined by the Indian Health Service that is equivalent to the role of a director of an accreditation-eligible municipal health department.
[PL 2011, c. 306, §1 (NEW).]
