On February 26, 2003, James Baird, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health, told the House Health and Family Services Committee that the number one priority of the Ohio Department of Health is to assure public health preparedness and security. He said this included bioterrorism preparedness, and the handling of infectious disease outbreaks, like the West Nile Virus. Baird said that Ohio's infrastructure for homeland security is underfunded because Ohio needs an early surveillance system. He said Ohio was in the process of creating T-lines for instant communications.
Director Baird said the second priority of the Department is the prevention of chronic, environmental, genetic and infectious diseases. He said the third priority is elimination of health disparities between various minority groups and the average Ohioan. In response to a question, Baird commented that dental care continues to be the number one unmet need in Ohio. According to Baird, the fourth priority is quality assurance and safety of services, including long-term care facilities as nursing homes; and the fifth and final priority is health choices. He said that health choices include education in health behavior, such as not smoking and increased exercise.