(20 ILCS 5/5-235) (was 20 ILCS 5/7.03)

Sec. 5-235. In the Department of Public Health.

(a) The Director of Public Health shall be either a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches in Illinois or a person who has administrative experience in public health work at the local, state, or national level in accordance with subsection (b).

If the Director is not a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, then a Medical Director shall be appointed who shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches. The Medical Director shall report directly to the Director. If the Director is not a physician, the Medical Director shall have primary responsibility for overseeing the following regulatory and policy areas:

(1) Department responsibilities concerning hospital and health care facility regulation, emergency services, ambulatory surgical treatment centers, health care professional regulation and credentialing, advising the Board of Health, patient safety initiatives, and the State's response to disease prevention and outbreak management and control.

(2) Any other duties assigned by the Director or required by law.

(b) A Director of Public Health who is not a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches shall at a minimum have the following education and experience:

(1) 5 years of full-time administrative experience in public health and a master's degree in public health from (i) a college or university accredited by the North Central Association or (ii) any other nationally recognized regional accrediting agency; or

(2) 5 years of full-time administrative experience in public health and a graduate degree in a related field from (i) a college or university accredited by the North Central Association or (ii) any other nationally recognized regional accrediting agency. For the purposes of this item (2), "a graduate degree in a related field" includes, but is not limited to, a master's degree in public administration, nursing, environmental health, community health, or health education.

(c) The Assistant Director of Public Health shall be a person who has administrative experience in public health work.

(Source: P.A. 97-798, eff. 7-13-12.)