As adopted by the Youngstown Home Rule Charter on May 15, 1923, the Youngstown Department of Health was created to perform all duties, which are conferred by the Revised Code of Ohio, and such other duties as may be conferred upon it by ordinance of City Council.

The programs of the Youngstown Department of Health are directed toward:

1. The protection of the public’s health through the enforcement of all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules and standards.
2. The prevention of disease in the area of personal and environmental health.
3. The improvement of the health of the community.

All of the policies enumerated are designed to reflect the mission of the Youngstown Board of Health, its programs and staff.

Public health has played a significant role in extending and improving the quality of life in the U.S.  Over the last century, public health has evolved from a sole focus on maintaining basic sanitary living conditions and preventing disease epidemics to the broadened role today of preventing disease, injury, disability, and premature death.

The Health District for the City of Youngstown has, as so many other health districts have, continually faced a variety of both internal and external factors that are continuously changing.  These factors include changing public health needs and changing servicing systems, to name a few.

In order to achieve a sense of excellence in meeting the changing public health needs of our community, a strategic health plan was adopted.  Our Strategic Health Plan focuses on current and long-term needs of the community and provides for a more timely local public health response to the rapidly changing needs of our community.  

Our Vision is to develop reliable and credible information, education and effective services to prevent disease, promote health and protect the public. This will be accomplished by:

• Developing policy
• Enforcing public health regulation in a responsible manner
• Monitoring public health through research and
• Supplying information that  is clear, complete, accurate and up-to-date.

This Public Health Plan is the single most significant step taken to redefine the role of our local public health entity in recent years.  This plan will provide the opportunity for local leaders to work together using Healthy People Ohio report and the results of the  Healthy Valley 2000/2010 report to assess local public health needs, assure access to quality preventive health services and to develop action oriented policies and programs to address the unique needs of our community.