NY Pub Health L § 207 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PBH - Public Health Article 2 - The Department of Health Title 1 - Officers and Employees 207 - Health Care and Wellness Education and Outreach Program.

§  207.  Health  care  and wellness education and outreach program. 1. There is hereby created  within  the  department  the  health  care  and wellness  education  and  outreach  program.  The department may conduct education and outreach  programs  for  consumers,  patients,  educators, including  but not limited to elementary and secondary school educators, and health care providers  relating  to  any  health  care  matters  the commissioner deems appropriate and:  (a) Various health conditions, diseases and health care procedures and treatment  options,  including  but  not  limited  to  those for breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, testicular, skin,  and  ovarian  cancer, shaken   baby   syndrome,  reflex  sympathetic  dystrophy  syndrome  and post-polio sequelae.  (b) Recommended preventative  and  wellness  practices  and  services, including   evidence  based  age  and  gender  appropriate  testing  and screening exams and immunization schedules.  (c) Lymphedema and lymphatic disease,  an  abnormal  swelling  of  the extremities  including  the  causes,  symptoms  of  primary  lymphedema, secondary lymphedema and lymphatic disease, prevention, early diagnosis, options for treatment and therapy, long-term chronic  care  issues,  the value of early detection, possible options for treatment including their benefits   and   risks,   and   other   relevant   information  and  the recommendation that hospitals treating breast cancer patients  implement a  lymphedema  alert  program  by placing a bright pink wristband on the patient's affected arm.  Links  to  national  lymphedema  and  lymphatic disease  organizations  shall  be  provided as part of the informational summary and electronically through the department's websites.  (d) The need and importance of organ and  tissue  donation,  including information  about  being  registered  as  an organ and tissue donor and executing documents of gift under article forty-three of this chapter.  (e) The need and importance for consumers  and  patients  to  have  an advance  directive,  particularly  a health care proxy, and the need and importance for health care  providers  to  play  a  leadership  role  in discussing  end-of-life care preferences and values with patients and to provide patients with health care proxy forms.  (f) Uterine fibroids, an abnormal growth that occurs  in  the  uterus, including  the  causes  and  symptoms  of uterine fibroids, the value of early detection, possible options for treatment including their benefits and risks, information on the elevated risk for minority women and other relevant information.  (g)  Improving   birth   outcomes,   including   the   importance   of preconceptional  care,  early  prenatal  care,  considerations of health risks during pregnancy, considerations of benefits and  risks  of  labor and delivery options including, but not limited to, vaginal and cesarean section  delivery, elective or repeat cesarean sections, and appropriate use of drugs during delivery. There shall also be education and outreach concerning spina bifida, a permanently disabling birth defect  occurring at the end of the first month of pregnancy which involves the incomplete development  of  the spinal cord or its coverings, and the importance of encouraging all women in their child-bearing  years  to  increase  their folic acid intake in order to reduce the incidence of spina bifida.  (h)  Palliative  care  options for patients with a terminal illness or condition.  (i) About the short term and long term adverse health risks to  adults and   children   who   become  overweight,  obese  or  underweight.  The information  shall  include,  but  need  not  be  limited  to  providing citations  to  the  department's  website, as well as any other websites providing information on the subject.    * (j) Maternal  depression,  including  information  about  education, screening, referral services, and possible options for treatment.   * NB There are 2 par (j)'s   * (j)  The  eating disorders awareness and prevention program shall be designed to promote the awareness  of  eating  disorders  and  available services,  as well as to prevent and reduce the incidence and prevalence of eating disorders, especially among children and adolescents.   * NB There are 2 par (j)'s   * (k) Donating umbilical cord blood to a public cord blood bank.   * NB There are 3 par (k)'s   * (k) The availability of  individual,  family  and  group  counseling programs,  education programs, and advocacy services provided at no cost by governmental agencies and not-for-profit organizations for victims of any sexual offense which constitutes a crime and for  victims  of  child pornography promotion or possession.   * NB There are 3 par (k)'s   * (k)   The   physical,   sexual  and  psychological  consequences  of undergoing  female  genital  mutilation,  including  the   practice   of "vacation cutting" whereby girls are sent out of state or the country to undergo female genital mutilation, typically during school vacations.   * NB There are 3 par (k)'s  (l)  The  dangers  of  women's  cancers, including ways to prevent and severity of such diseases.  For  purposes  of  this  paragraph,  women's cancers  shall  mean  and  include:  cervical,  endometrial, gestational trophoblastic tumor, ovarian, uterine sarcoma, vaginal, and vulvar.   * (m) A Lyme disease and tick-borne infection awareness and prevention program designed to promote the awareness and prevention methods against Lyme disease and tick-borne infections. Such information  shall  include but  not  be  limited to guidelines and methods of prevention, including the safe use of recommended insect repellents, the  best  practices  for tick removal, recommendations for the reduction of exposure to ticks and appropriate course of action once a tick is removed from the body.   * NB There are 3 par (m)'s   * (m)  The  department shall conduct such a program relating to breast density, which  shall  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  educational information  regarding  the meaning and potential health consequences of having dense breast  tissue,  the  impact  of  dense  breast  tissue  on mammographic  screening for breast cancer and supplemental breast cancer screening techniques, and provide access to other  educational  websites regarding dense breast tissue and literature regarding risk factors.   * NB There are 3 par (m)'s   * (m)   Lupus,  a  debilitating  autoimmune  disease  that  can  cause inflammation and tissue damage to virtually  any  organ  system  in  the body,  including  the  skin,  joints, other connective tissue, blood and blood vessels, heart, lung, kidney and brain, and which  affects  women, particularly women of color, in a disproportionate manner; provided that the  program  shall  include an advisory council under this section that shall include representatives of people with lupus  and  their  families and  health  care  providers  who  specialize  in  treating lupus, among others.   * NB There are 3 par (m)'s  (n)  Pediatric  acute-onset  neuropsychiatric  syndrome,  a   clinical diagnosis  given  to  children  who  have a sudden and dramatic onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms including obsessive compulsive disorder and/or eating disorder, and which may cause affected children to become  moody, irritable  and anxious, and to have difficulty with schoolwork. Provided that such program shall include an advisory council under  this  section that  shall include representatives of people with pediatric acute-onset  neuropsychiatric syndrome and their families and health  care  providers who specialize in treating such syndrome, among others.  (o)  For  women who may become pregnant, expectant parents and parents of infants, information regarding:  (i) the incidence of cytomegalovirus;  (ii) the transmission and risks of cytomegalovirus to  pregnant  women and women who may become pregnant;  (iii) birth defects caused by congenital cytomegalovirus;  (iv) methods of diagnosing congenital cytomegalovirus;  (v)  the available preventive measures to avoid the infection of women who are pregnant or may become pregnant; and  (vi) available  methods  of  treating  cytomegalovirus  and  resources available for families of children born with cytomegalovirus.   * (p)  Reproductive  health  conditions  that affect female fertility, including but not limited to polycystic ovary  syndrome,  endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.   * NB There are 3 par (p)'s   * (p) Postnatal donation of tissue and fluids.   * NB There are 3 par (p)'s   * (p)   Preeclampsia,  including  information  about  detection,  risk factors and management, and possible options for treatment.   * NB There are 3 par (p)'s   2. Programs under this section, dealing with one or more subjects, may include but not be limited to any of the following elements:  (a) educational and informational materials in print,  audio,  visual, electronic or other media;  (b) public service announcements and advertisements; and  (c)  establishment  of  toll-free  telephone  hotlines  and electronic services to provide information.   3.  The  department  may  produce,  make  available  to   others   for reproduction,   or  contract  with  others  to  develop  such  materials mentioned in this section as the commissioner deems  appropriate.  These materials  shall  be  made  available  to  the  public and to educators, including but not limited to elementary and secondary  school  educators free  of charge as appropriate or for a fee under certain circumstances. The commissioner may require where appropriate any health care  provider to make these materials available to patients.   4.  In  exercising  any  of  his or her powers under this section, the commissioner may consult with  appropriate  health  care  professionals, providers,   consumers,   educators   and   patients   or  organizations representing them.   5. The commissioner shall ensure that all  information  and  materials produced  pursuant to this section are maintained and updated to reflect best practice recommendations.   6. The commissioner  may  appoint  as  appropriate  advisory  councils relating  to various matters that are or are proposed to be the subjects of  programs  under  this  section.  All  such  councils  shall  include representation  of  health  care  professionals,  providers,  educators, consumers, patients and other appropriate interests. The members of  the councils  shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in  performance  of their duties.   7.  In  addition  to  state funds appropriated for programs under this section, the commissioner may  accept  grants  from  public  or  private sources  for  these  programs.  The  commissioner, in administering this section, shall seek to coordinate the department's programs  with  other public  and  private  programs,  and  may undertake joint or cooperative programs with other public or private entities, including making  grants  (within  amounts  appropriated  therefor  and consistent with applicable law) to public or not-for-profit entities.   8.  The  commissioner  may  make  rules  and regulations necessary and appropriate for implementation of this section.