< > W208 - Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services - http://www.dhss.mo.gov/

VISION
Missouri will become a state of healthy people in healthy communities.

MISSION
The Missouri Department of Health is responsible for protecting and promoting the health of Missourians by assessing health status and needs, developing policies and priorities, and assuring that the state is responding appropriately.

VALUES
The Missouri Department of Health is a responsible and responsive organization of inspired employees committed to continuous improvements in the health status of our population through partnerships with local public health agencies, public and private sector entities and Missouri citizens.

Our first responsibility is to our citizens. The participation of Missourians in developing and evaluating our services is highly valued.

We value the public health workforce -- those employees in the Department of Health and in local public health agencies who work every day to improve the health of Missouri’s people and communities. We also value those who work with us to promote and protect the public’s health. These partners include schools of public health, professional organizations, other state and federal agencies, private health care providers, voluntary agencies, the executive and legislative branches of government, business and industry, and those we serve.

We value a strong public health system. This allows us to assess health status and needs, develop policies and priorities, and assure that the state is responding appropriately. We believe that the public health infrastructure should include surveillance and epidemiology, a comprehensive statewide information system, optimum public health laboratory services, health education and information, reasonable financial resources, qualified and trained staff and effective management.