Department of Health Bureaus
The mission of the Bureau of Communicable Diseases is to reduce the incidence and prevalence of communicable diseases in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by providing a wide range of prevention and intervention strategies that incorporate all aspects of government and community partnerships. To this end, the Bureau operates disease control programs for four major areas: HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases (immunizations), sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. The Bureau of Communicable Diseases is comprised of 3 divisions: HIV/AIDS, Immunizations and TB/STD.
Bureau of Communicable Diseases
Room 1023
625 Forster St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
717-783-0479 Phone
717-705-5513 Fax
The Bureau of Community Health Systems, through the six health districts, operates a network of state health centers and supports public health programs throughout the commonwealth. Health centers engage in community health assessment and quality assurance activities and provide other public health services, including community integration and outreach programs, to promote healthy behaviors.
Bureau of Community Health Systems
30 Kline Plaza
Harrisburg, PA 17104
Quality Assurance's mission is to maximize the quality and integrity of care and services by monitoring compliance and by promoting data, education and collaboration within Pennsylvania. The Bureau of Community Program Licensure and Certification licenses and verifies compliance with state and federal health and safety standards, as mandated by law, in the following facilities.
Bureau of Community Program Licensure and Certification
555 Walnut Street
7th Floor, Suite 701
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-783-8665 Phone
717-787-3188 Fax
ra-communityprogramlicensure@pa.gov
The Department of Health is the lead agency for emergency medical services (EMS) in the Commonwealth. The Department's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services is responsible for the statewide development and coordination of a comprehensive system to prevent and reduce premature death and disability.
Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
1310 Elmerton Ave
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-787-8740 Phone
717- 772-0910 Fax
paemsoffice@pa.gov
Lead the commonwealth in preventing, responding to and reducing the public health and medical consequences of emergencies and disasters.
Bureau of Emergency Preparedness and Response
717-346-0640 Phone
Epidemiology is the study of disease patterns and outbreaks. The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology collects data on diseases affecting persons in the commonwealth including numbers of diseases, causes of diseases and locations of diseases. The Bureau of Epidemiology investigates disease outbreaks and epidemics. The Bureau also advises on health issues, rules and regulations affecting citizens.
Bureau of Epidemiology
Room 933
625 Forster St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-3350 Phone
717-772-6975 Fax
The Pennsylvania Department of Health licenses and verifies compliance with state and federal health and safety standards in supervised healthcare facilities as mandated by law, including hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory surgical facilities. The Department conducts regular on-site surveys to assure health, safety, sanitation, fire and quality of care requirements and to identify deficiencies which may affect state licensure or eligibility for federal reimbursements under the Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Bureau of Facility Licensure and Certification
625 Forster Street, Room 528, Health & Human Services Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
RA-facilitylicensurecertifica@pa.gov
The Bureau of Family Health is the state agency in Pennsylvania responsible for promoting and protecting the health of pregnant women, infants, children and children with special health care needs.
Bureau of Family Health
Division of Child and Adult Health Services
Health and Human Services Building
625 Forster St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
717-772-2762 Phone
RA-DHPATITLEV@pa.gov
The Bureau of Health Planning includes the Division of Plan Development and the Division of Health Professions Development.
Bureau of Health Planning
Room 1033, Health and Human Services Building
625 Forster St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
717-772-5298 Phone
717-705-6525 Fax
The Bureau of Health Promotion & Risk Reduction (BHPRR) serves as the focal point to reduce the impact of chronic disease, injury and violence for everyone in Pennsylvania. The mission of the BHPRR is to support community partners in implementing evidence-based prevention strategies, using current data and research for chronic disease, injury, and violence to foster healthy and resilient communities across the Commonwealth of PA.
Bureau of Health Promotion & Risk Reduction (BHPRR)
625 Forster Street
Room 1000, Health and Human Services Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-6214 Phone
717-783-5498 Fax
The mission of the Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries is to: establish and manage statewide registries of diseases, vital events, and health status; review departmental requests for proposals and applications for federal and other funds, prior to their release/submission, to ensure that appropriate assessment strategies are included and that departmental business needs are met; maintain the repository for all vital records of the commonwealth; and oversee the issuance of certified copies of birth and death certificates to ensure that customer service needs are met.
Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries
717-783-2548 Phone
To provide clinical laboratory testing, advice, consultation and quality assurance standards to all who require or deliver medical diagnostic services; to assure services are accurate, timely, state-of-the-art, cost effective, and delivered in a responsive and courteous manner. The Bureau of Laboratories operates the state public health lab and regulates clinical laboratories serving the citizens of Pennsylvania. The laboratory supports disease prevention through the provision of investigatory, diagnostic, and confirmatory testing for both infectious and non-infectious diseases. Routine testing provides information necessary for patient care and aids in monitoring ongoing public health concerns in Pennsylvania.
Through WIC, pregnant women, mothers, and caregivers of infants and young children learn about good nutrition to keep themselves and their families healthy. WIC provides nutrition services, breastfeeding support, healthcare and social service referrals and healthy foods to an average of 247,000 participants every month.
Bureau of Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
625 Forster St.
7th Floor West Wing
Health and Human Services Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
1-800-WIC-WINS
State Program Office:
717-783-1289 Phone
717-705-0462 Fax
Department of Health Offices
The Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention (HAIP) Program was established to execute the Department of Health's responsibilities created by Act 52 of 2007. The mission of HAIP is to protect patients, residents, visitors and healthcare personnel as well as promote safety, quality and value in the healthcare delivery system.
717-425-5422 Phone
Get information on the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program (CURE), which awards grants for clinical, health services and biomedical research.
Health Research Office
Health and Human Services Building, Room 833
625 Forster Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701
717-231-2825 Phone
RA-healthresearch@pa.gov
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Long Term Care Transformation Office (LTCTO) is a new office within the Department, established in early 2023. Working directly with the Office of the Secretary of Health, the LTCTO is tasked with providing guidance and assistance to long term care communities across Pennsylvania by working with other state agencies and external partners to understand industry challenges and implement positive change.
The Office of Health Equity (OHE) was formally integrated into the Pennsylvania Department of Health through an executive order signed in May 2007. The office provides leadership to increase public awareness of health disparities in Pennsylvania.
717-547-3315 Phone
Many states are exploring innovative approaches to transform health and health care delivery. The Commonwealth's Health Innovation in Pennsylvania (HIP) plan is a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder statewide initiative to improve the health of all Pennsylvanians by redesigning the way we pay for, deliver, and coordinate health and health care services. The plan will include strategies to advance population health, health information technology, and workforce development.
To help prevent prescription drug abuse and protect the health and safety of our community, Pennsylvania's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PA PDMP) collects information on all filled prescriptions for controlled substances. This information helps health care providers safely prescribe controlled substances and helps patients get the treatment they need.
Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention
Health & Human Services Building
625 Forster St., Room 604
Harrisburg, PA 17120
844-377-7367, select prompt "1" for technical questions
844-377-7367, select prompt "0" for all other questions
RA-DH-PDMP@pa.gov for general questions
papdmp@logicoy.com for technical questions
District Offices
Water Tower Square
1000 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 109
Williamsport, PA 17701
Phone: 570-327-3400
Fax: 570-327-3748
100 Lackawanna Avenue
Room 316
Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: 570-892-4080
Fax: 570-826-2238
30 Kline Plaza
Harrisburg, PA 17104
Phone: 717-787-8092
Fax: 717-772-3151
Reading State Office Building
Room 442 625 Cherry Street
Reading, PA 19602
Phone: 610-378-4352
Fax: 610-378-4527
233 West Otterman Street
Greensburg, PA 15601
Phone: 724-830-2701
Fax: 724-832-5327