State public-health regional director briefs Richland County board on responsibilities, resources
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Summary
Joe Larsen, a regional director for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, presented an overview of DHS roles, the foundational public-health services model, and legal duties that guide local health departments; he noted Richland County is a level-2 health department and offered resources for boards and staff.
Joe Larsen, southern region director in the Office of Policy and Practice Alignment at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, told the Richland County Community and Health Services standing committee on April 2 that state and local public-health roles are complementary and governed by state statute and administrative rule.
Larsen told the committee the Division of Public Health provides training, technical assistance and consultation to local and tribal health departments and that his office helps connect local health officers to subject-matter experts. "Our vision is everyone living their best life, and our mission is to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin," he said.
Why it matters: Larsen outlined the operational model local boards should use to oversee county health departments, emphasizing assessment and surveillance, equity, workforce competency, policy development, emergency preparedness and communications. He highlighted administrative rule 140 as the regulatory text that defines required services for local health departments and pointed to state statute chapters 250–255 as the statutory framework governing health-officer duties and communicable-disease responsibilities.
Larsen described the "foundational public-health services" model, which he said includes core capacities—assessment, partnerships, organizational competency and policy development—and a community-specific services layer for local needs. He stressed that health departments must balance direct services such as immunizations with broader system-level work, calling the modern role a convener that coordinates community resources.
On legal and operational expectations, Larsen noted that Wisconsin uses a level-designation system for local health departments; Richland County is designated a level 2 department, which carries additional expectations for workforce development, strategic planning and performance management. He also drew attention to required public-health nursing services and to the importance of community health assessments and improvement plans.
Quote and resources: Larsen closed by listing resources for board members and staff, including the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards, and offered his regional office as a point of contact for follow-up technical assistance.
The presentation concluded with a question-and-answer period during which county officials and residents raised local service and testing questions. Larsen and county staff offered to connect residents with environmental health and testing resources and to follow up on specific community needs.
Next steps: County board members were given materials and contact information to review statutes, administrative rules and national guidance; staff said they will continue to integrate the county's community health assessment priorities into planning and to request follow-up support from Larsen's regional office when needed.
