The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-09-12
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
WORK CONCENTRATED
IN JACKSONVILLE

Carrying out its announced policy
| of Capitalization, the State Board OF
Health has moved all of its various
departments to jacksonville that they
NAV be under the close direction OF
State Health Officer Ralph n. Greene,
and work in coordination with each
other.
With the establishment of the or
thopedic service at st. Lukes hospital
under DR.. ]. Knox Simpson, and the
transfer of the venereal disease and
child welfare departments, under DR.
II. o. Snow and DR.. Grace Whitford
from Tampa to Jacksonville, all divis-
ions of the State Board of Health
have been gathered at one point.
While regretting that it was neces-
sary to change the headquarters of
the three departments, which have
just completed removal to Jackson
vile, the members of the board felt
that it was only through centraliza-
ton that the institution could be made
one hundred per cent efficient.
"Our first consideration" declares
Joe L. Earman. president of the State
Board of Health, twas the best inter
eEts of the people of Florida. We
realize the infinite opportunities for
service in the hands of the State
Board of Health and we intend to
work with but one thought in mind,
the achievement of these opportuni-
ties.
'To this end our efforts must be
given to building up the strongest
possible health machine. We did not
feel that we could do this with one de-
partment at one place and another in
some other section of the state.
''In the first place the different de-
raremtns have varied opportunities
of working together. The vital sta
tistics department can and should
work with every other department of
the state board. the sanitary depart
ment experts and must have the CO.
operation of the other divisions, the
meteorological department can assist
the other branches of health work,
and the same thing holds true thruout
the institution.
"This cooperation and unity of eff
forts is possible only when all depart
ments are at one point
One Directing Head
Another point" continues Mr.. Ear
man, "the members of the State Board
'of Health, Mr.. E. H. Earnest of Palat-
ka, Mr.. j. E. Graves of Hosford, and
myself are fully in accord in the belief
that there should be one directing
head of health activities.
"This policy was announced when
the board was reorganized and we
stated at that time Major Greene
would be that head. He is a man of
seasoned experience and one who, we
feel, is fully capable of measuring up
TO the big task that lies before him.
Major Greene cannot direct the activ-
tiles of the board of health effectively
unless the headquarters of each de-
partment are where he can be in daily
touch with the heads of the various
divisions.
"While we do feel that the differ
ent departments can be more econom-
ically administered in one building,
our policy of retrenchment would not
have decided the concentration of
headquarters here unless we had felt
that the best interests of the state
were being served.
"The State Board of Health is out
of politics for all time," Mr.. Earman
concludes. "Our creed is service to
the people of Florida, and it is that
creed that we will keep before US in
administering the activities of the in
stitution."