A Message from our Director

The mission of the Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) is “to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.” The vision is “to be the Healthiest State in the Nation.”

As Health Officer, my role is to lead DOH-Broward in the effort to fulfill our mission and to achieve our vision by following the road map of our strategic plan. The plan is based on four pillars:

• Leader of the local public health system
• Thrive financially
• Provider and employer of choice
• A culture of continuous improvement

DOH-Broward is committed to excellence and is proud to be among the most recognized county health departments in the United States. In 2019, DOH-Broward led the county’s successful effort in achieving the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize. Additionally, we received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2018 and we are honored to have been named “Large County Health Department of the Year 2015” by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). We also have been recognized by NACCHO for a total of 18 model practices, 42 promising practices, and three innovative practices.

DOH-Broward represents a unique partnership between Broward County and the state of Florida. We achieve success by working with all our partners in the local public health system including health care partners, the faith community, educational institutions, governmental agencies, nonprofit groups and other less traditional partners such as first responders and businesses.

While DOH-Broward provides a broad range of direct patient care services to some of our residents, there are also many “silent” services which protect the broader community’s health every day, such as disease control and surveillance, environmental health and disaster preparedness. Public health touches all of our lives every day, whether directly or indirectly.

I want to emphasize the Florida Department of Health in Broward County’s commitment to our community on a daily basis and in times of emergency. We are always available to assist with your public health needs and to provide information and resources in addition to our direct services. I look forward to continuing to lead our dedicated public health team to meet the public health needs of our community.

Bio of Dr. Paula Thaqi M.D., M.P.H.  (64K, pdf)