CE/CME

Health Authorities in Texas

Welcome to the training on Health Authorities in Texas provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

Credit Hours: 1.00 CE

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Goal

The goal of this module is to equip appointed health authorities in Texas to fulfill their legal roles and responsibilities to ensure that public health emergencies and other health issues are addressed in a proper and timely manner. The module also educates other health professionals about the legal roles and responsibilities of health authorities and how they contribute to public health and safety in Texas.

Target Audience

The target audience is health authorities appointed in Texas and other interested health care and public health professionals, including Texas Health Steps providers. This training provides information that is particularly significant to newly appointed health authorities and others who want to know more about that position.

Specific Learning Objectives

After completing the activities of this module, you will be able to:

  1. Specify the requirements to serve as a health authority and the legal duties of the office.
  2. Interpret a health authority’s responsibility to balance public health and privacy concerns.
  3. Summarize the first action steps a newly appointed health authority should take.

Please note this module expires on 9/15/2026.

This module was released on 9/15/2023.

Featured

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER). (2017). CASPERs in Texas web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). CDC and Food Safety webpage.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Criteria for Recommending Federal Travel Restrictions for Public Health Purposes, Including for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Environmental Assessment Training Series (EATS) web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). FAQs for Public Health Do Not Board and Lookout Lists web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Good Decision Making in Real Time: Public Health Ethics Training for Local Health Departments.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Information for People Exposed to Birds Infected with Avian Influenza Viruses webpage.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Legal Authorities for Isolation and Quarantine web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Overview of CASPER: Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response Toolkit, Casper Toolkit.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER). (2020). Overview of CASPER web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Public Health Surveillance During a Disaster web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Quarantine Station Contact List, Map, and Fact Sheets web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Quarantine Stations web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Types of Data Collected in Foodborne Outbreak Investigations web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). What are Environmental Assessments? web page.

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Blog. (2023). We continue to work through all options in Tacoma tuberculosis case web page.

Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter A, Rule §97.6.(2016). Control of Communicable Diseases.

Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation. (2023). Sanitarians web page.

Texas Government Code, Title 4, Subtitle B, Chapter 418, Subchapter A. (1987). Texas Disaster Act of 1975.

Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 2, Subtitle D, Chapter 81, Subchapter A. (1989). Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act. 

Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 2, Subtitle D, Chapter 81, Subchapter D, §81.065. (2003). Right of Entry. 

Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 2, Subtitle F, Chapter 121, Subchapter A. (1989). Local Public Health Reorganization Act.

Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 2, Subtitle I, Chapter 181, Subchapter A. (2015). Medical Records Privacy).

Texas Health and Safety Code, Title 2, Subtitle I, Chapter 181, Subchapter A, §181.056. (2003). American Red Cross.

Texas State Historical Association. The Handbook of Texas. (2020). Public Health.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. (2020). BULLETIN: HIPAA Privacy and Novel Coronavirus.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2022). What You Need to Know about Foodborne Illnesses web page.

University of Houston Law Center, Health Law & Policy Institute. (2020). Control Measures and Public Health Emergencies: A Texas Bench Book.

University of Houston Law Center, Health Law & Policy Institute. (2020). Control Measures and Public Health Emergencies: A Texas Bench Book. See page 57 for a flowchart of “Implementation of Control Measures on an Individual”.

Definition

The medical definitions provided in this module were adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

Continuing Medical Education

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Nursing Education

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.00 contact hour(s) of Continuing Nursing Education.

Social Workers

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service under sponsor number CS3065 has been approved by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to offer continuing education contact hours to social workers. The approved status of The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service expires annually on December 31. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.00 contact hour(s) of Continuing Social Work Education.

Certificate of Attendance

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has designated 1.00 hour(s) for attendance.

General Disclosure

One of the requirements of continuing education is disclosure of the following information to the learner:

  1. Notice of requirements for successful completion of continuing education activity. To receive continuing education credit the learner must successfully complete the following activities:
    • Create a Texas Health Steps account.
    • Complete on-line registration process.
    • Thoroughly read the content of the module.
    • Complete the on-line examination.
    • Complete the evaluation.
  2. Commercial Support.
    The THSTEPS Web-based Continuing Education Series has received no commercial support.
  3. Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships.
    The THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee and the authors of these modules have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  4. Non-Endorsement Statement.
    Accredited status does not imply endorsement of any commercial products or services by the Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service; Texas Medical Association; or American Nurse Credentialing Center.
  5. Off-Label Use.
    Using a disclosure review process, the THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee has examined documents and has concluded that the authors of these modules have not included content that discusses off-label use (use of products for a purpose other than that for which they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration).

The following are policies and definitions of terms related to continuing education disclosure:

The intent of disclosure is to allow Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service the opportunity to resolve any potential conflicts of interest to assure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its Continuing Education activities.

All faculty, planners, speakers and authors of Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service sponsored activities are expected to disclose to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service any relevant financial, relationships with any commercial or personal interest that produces health care goods or services concerned with the content of an educational presentation. Faculty, planners, speakers and authors must also disclose where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.

Glossary of Terms

Conflict of Interest: Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect Continuing Education content about products or services of a commercial interest with which she/he has a financial relationship or where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.

Commercial Interest: Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.

Financial Relationships: Those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. Relevant financial relationships would include those within the past 12 months of the person involved in the activity and a spouse or partner. Relevant financial relationships of your spouse or partner are those of which you are aware at the time of this disclosure.

Off Label: Using products for a purpose other that that for which it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Texas Health Steps courses are best viewed using a current browser. If you are using an out-of-date browser or a version of Internet Explorer less than 11, lesson progress and interactive features may not function properly.

Health-Care Providers

Section 1: Roles and Requirements

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Contact Regional and Local Health Operations web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Division for Regional and Local Health Operations web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Health Authority Training and Resources web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Health Authorities in Texas web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Regions web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 1 web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 2/3 web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 4/5 North web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 6/5 South web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 7 web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 8 web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 9/10 web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Region 11 web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (2023). Standing Delegation Orders for Tuberculosis Clinical Services Provided by Authorized Licensed Nurses, Fiscal Year 2023. Accessed 7/16/23.

Section 2: Responsibilities of a Health Authority

Texas Department of State Health Service. (n.d.). Flea-borne Typhus web page.

Texas Department of State Health Service. (n.d.). Flea-borne Typhus Statistics web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Foodborne Illness web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Health Authority Training and Resources web page.

Texas Department of State Health Service. (n.d.). Notifiable Conditions web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Public Health Regions web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Regional and Local Health Operations web page.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d.). Vital Statistics web page.