The Kent County Health Department is under the supervision of the Kent County Board of Commissioners which establishes county policy, provides financial support and appoints a Board of Health. The Board of Health appoints the Public Health Director, establishes department policy, approves programs, and adopts a budget. The Public Health Director is charged with the study and evaluation of public health problems and the implementation of programs for all the people within the resources allotted. The director cooperates with all other social, health, citizen and government groups to develop community health programs. Also the director evaluates health needs periodically and revises old or creates new programs and services to meet these needs.

The Deputy director for Medical Services and the Assistant Director for Administration assists the Director in implementing a comprehensive public health program for Kent County.

The Kent County Health Department is made up of seven service divisions, each with its own director, and professional, technical and clerical support staff. Included are: Adult Health and Disease Control Division, Community Centers Division, Environmental Health Division, General Services Division, Maternal, Child and School Health Division, Public Health Nursing Division, Substance Abuse Coordination Division. Although the divisions are organized along functional lines, they operate cooperatively in the implementation of the total public health program.

The beginnings of an organized health program are somewhat obscure, but apparently city fathers worried about the health of the community as early as 1857. There was first a Health Committee of Council members and then in 1871, a Board of Health. In 1887 this board was organized to consist of four council members with the mayor and president of the council ex officio, and a health officer was appointed. According to the Health Department, this date marks the beginning of an actual public health program. The first health officer was Dr. Hugo L. Pinski; he was followed in 1888 by Dr. Edward Watson and in 1889 by Dr. Henry Saunders. Other early officers were Drs. Robert Luton, William Delano, and T.M. Koon, and there are references to other doctors (Locher, Barth, Griswold) serving on the Board of Health. In 1910 Dr. C.C. Slemons became Health Officer and in 1917, at the same time the city government was reorganized, this was made a full-time job. Dr. W.B. Prothro succeeded Dr. Slemons and presided over the 1954 merger of the city and county health departments into the present organization. After Dr. Prothro’s retirement in 1976, Dr. Douglas A. Mack was appointed Director of Public Health.