Sec. 1. The office of minority health and the state department of health, in partnership with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Inc., shall do the following:
(1) Staff, coordinate, and assist in the implementation of the comprehensive health plan developed by the interagency state council on black and minority health established under IC 16-46-6.
(2) Expand, develop, and implement a community based state structure that is conducive to addressing the health disparities of the minority populations in Indiana.
(3) Monitor minority health progress.
(4) Establish policy.
(5) Fund minority health programs, research, and other initiatives.
(6) Provide the following through interdepartmental coordination:
(A) The data and technical assistance needs of the local minority health coalitions.
(B) Measurable minority health objectives to local minority health coalitions for the development of health intervention programs.
(7) Provide through the state health data center established by IC 16-19-10-3 minority health research and resource information addressing the following:
(A) Research within minority populations.
(B) A resource database that can be disseminated to local organizations interested in minority health.
(C) Racial and ethnic specific databases including morbidity, diagnostic groups, social/economic, education, and population.
(D) Attitude, knowledge, and belief information.
(8) Staff a minority health hotline that establishes linkages with other health and social service hotlines and local coalitions.
(9) Develop and implement an aggressive recruitment and retention program to increase the number of minorities in the health and social services professions.
(10) Develop and implement an awareness program that will increase the knowledge of health and social service providers to the special needs of minorities.
(11) Develop and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate health promotion and disease prevention programs that would emphasize avoiding the health risk factors for conditions affecting minorities and incorporate an accessible, affordable, and acceptable early detection and intervention component.
(12) Provide the state support necessary to ensure the continued development of the existing minority health coalitions and to develop coalitions in other areas targeted for minority health intervention.
(13) Coordinate each of the counties with existing local minority health coalitions to:
(A) provide community planning and needs assessment assistance to the local minority health coalitions; and
(B) assist the local minority health coalitions in the development of local minority health intervention plans. The plans shall be developed to coincide with the state fiscal year.
(14) Establish a liaison between the department and the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Inc., to:
(A) coordinate the state department of health resources needed for the development of local coalitions;
(B) provide assistance to and monitor the local coordinators in the development of local intervention plans;
(C) serve as the barometer to the state department of health on the minority health concerns of local coalitions;
(D) assist in coordinating the minority community input on state policies and programs;
(E) serve as the linkage with the state department of health and the local minority health coordinators; and
(F) monitor the progress of the fulfilling of their responsibilities.
(15) Provide funding, within the limits of appropriations, to support preventive health, education, and treatment programs in the minority communities that are developed, planned, and evaluated by approved organizations.
(16) Provide assistance to local communities to obtain funding for the development of a health care delivery system to meet the needs, gaps, and barriers identified in the local plans.
As added by P.L.278-1993(ss), SEC.30. Amended by P.L.242-2003, SEC.5; P.L.38-2010, SEC.5.