Ohio Department of Health

What Ohio Department of Health does

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is the executive state agency of Ohio responsible for protecting and improving the health of the state's 11.8 million residents. Founded in 1936 and headquartered in West Union with primary operations in Columbus, ODH coordinates a network of 111 local health departments across all 88 Ohio counties and delivers services spanning vital records registration, disease surveillance, health facility licensing, emergency preparedness, and community health programs. Its core digital infrastructure is the Ohio Vital Records System (OVRS), a web-based platform launched in 2025 that replaced the legacy IPHIS/EDRS system for electronic registration of births, deaths, and vital events; OVRS is accessed through OHID, the State of Ohio's secure identity and single sign-on platform. Supporting products include the Bureau of Vital Statistics (records back to 1908 for births and 1971 for deaths), the Respiratory Dashboard, the Summary of Infectious Diseases Database (covering 100+ pathogens), the Health Care Provider Real-Time Information portal, and programs such as GuardCare (free community healthcare with the Ohio National Guard), OhioSEE (free eyeglasses for K–3 students), and the Healthy Perspectives podcast. The website is built on IBM WebSphere Portal and conforms to WCAG 2.0 AA with planned 2.1 AA compliance by April 2027.

ODH is funded primarily through annual appropriations from the Ohio General Assembly and federal grants from agencies including the CDC, supplemented by a small transactional revenue stream from vital records fees ($21.50 per certified birth/death record, $25 heirloom, $20 adoption file, $7 paternity acknowledgment, with stillbirth certificates free). Pricing is set by statute under ORC 3705.24. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer/resident via the odh.ohio.gov website, the central Columbus office for expedited same-day copies, the 111 local health departments for in-person services, and GuardCare community events for underserved populations. Marketing and outreach span owned channels (website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube), press conferences hosted by Director Dr. Bruce T. Vanderhoff, the Healthy Perspectives podcast, and earned media. The agency holds Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation and coordinates with the CDC, Ohio History Connection, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Department of Aging, Ohio Funeral Directors Association, and Ohio State Coroners Association on regulatory and service-delivery partnerships. ODH is not a commercial entity and has no investors, funding rounds, subsidiaries, or M&A activity; it is governed as a unit of the State of Ohio.

Name

Ohio Department of Health

Legal name

Ohio Department of Health

Website

https://odh.ohio.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

10,001+ employees

Short description

Ohio Department of Health is the State of Ohio's public health agency, coordinating disease surveillance, vital records registration, health facility oversight, and community health programs for 11.8 million residents across 111 local health departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Administration of Public Health Programs (92312)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial/Regional Health Departments (HLAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Data, Vital Statistics & Population Health Informatics (BPAIAJAM), Health Systems Performance & Quality Measurement (Public Sector) (HLAJANAK)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Vital records registration
• Disease surveillance
• Health facility licensing
• Community health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

West Union

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Vital Records Fees: Revenue generated from issuing certified copies of birth and death records, adoption files, heirloom certificates, and paternity acknowledgments to Ohio residents and authorized parties.
2. State Government Appropriations: Annual state budget allocations from the Ohio General Assembly to fund public health programs, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and agency operations.
3. Federal Grants: Funding from federal agencies including CDC for public health initiatives, epidemiology programs, and health emergency response.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ohio Department of Health is the state government agency that protects and improves the health of Ohio's 11.8 million residents through vital records registration (births, deaths, adoption files), disease surveillance across 100+ infectious diseases, public health emergency preparedness, healthcare facility licensing, and community health programs. It operates the Ohio Vital Records System (OVRS), coordinates 111 local health departments statewide, and provides free community healthcare services through initiatives like GuardCare.

Product overview

Ohio Department of Health operates primarily as a government services platform rather than a commercial product company. The core digital infrastructure consists of the odh.ohio.gov website powered by IBM WebSphere Portal, with the Ohio Vital Records System (OVRS) as the primary web-based platform launched in 2025 to replace the legacy IPHIS/EDRS system. OVRS handles electronic registration of births, deaths, and vital events through the OHID authentication platform. The organization provides public health programs including GuardCare (free healthcare services), OhioSEE (vision care for students), vector-borne disease surveillance, and crisis support services like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Additional digital services include disease surveillance dashboards (Respiratory Dashboard, Infectious Diseases Database), the Health Care Provider Real-Time Information portal, the Healthy Perspectives podcast series, and the Medical Records Price Index. The Bureau of Vital Statistics provides certificate ordering services for births, deaths, adoption files, and paternity establishment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ohio Vital Records System (OVRS) A web-based application used for registering births, deaths, and other vital events in Ohio, replacing the legacy IPHIS/EDRS system. Accessed through OHID, it provides electronic submission, enhanced security, mobile accessibility, and integrated payment and ordering for healthcare providers, funeral homes, and coroners.
• Bureau of Vital Statistics Services Statewide system for registration of births, deaths, fetal deaths, and other vital events within Ohio. Maintains birth records from December 20, 1908 and death records from 1971 to present. Offers certified copies, adoption files, heirloom certificates, and paternity establishment services to Ohio residents and authorized parties.
• Respiratory Dashboard Public-facing data visualization tool showing COVID-19, influenza, and RSV hospitalizations, updated Thursday afternoons. Searchable by county and region, enabling trend analysis and outbreak history review for Ohio residents and health professionals.
• Summary of Infectious Diseases Database Searchable database providing current and historical case counts for more than 100 infectious diseases in Ohio, including measles. Provides Epi Curve and Demographics views with data going back to 2001, updated weekly for public health professionals and Ohio residents.
• GuardCare Program Annual event hosted by Ohio National Guard and Ohio Department of Health providing free healthcare services including medical screenings, dental exams, vision tests, and immunizations to medically underserved Ohio communities. No insurance or income requirements; first-come-first-served basis.
• OhioSEE (Sight, Eye, and Education) No-cost eye exam and eyeglasses program for students in kindergarten through third grade. Provides free eyeglasses to students identified through vision screenings who did not receive follow-up exams.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Confidential support hotline available 24/7 for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis in Ohio. Call, text, or chat 988 for free support.
• Get Naloxone Program Program enabling Ohio residents to obtain naloxone for themselves, someone they know, or their organization to help prevent opioid overdoses.
• Health Care Provider Real-Time Information Portal Web-based system providing real-time information regarding health care providers licensed and/or certified by ODH Office of Health Assurance and Licensing. Includes license status, Medicare/Medicaid certification survey dates, and facility inspection results.
• Medical Records Price Index Annual publication required by Ohio Revised Code establishing maximum amounts health care providers may charge for copying patient medical records. Adjusted annually based on consumer price index changes.
• Ohio Vector-borne Disease Surveillance Program Program providing updates on vector-borne diseases in Ohio including current data on vector, human, and veterinary surveillance for mosquito-borne and tickborne diseases.
• Healthy Perspectives Podcast Podcast hosted by ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff covering health issues of the day and steps Ohioans can take to improve health and prevent injury and illness. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Quantifiable outcome

• 111 local health departments coordinated statewide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ohio National GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026Annual GuardCare partnership providing free healthcare services including medical screenings, dental exams, vision tests, and immunizations to Ohio residents. The program, established in 1995 under the federal Innovative Readiness Training program, trains National Guard medical personnel while serving medically underserved communities. Services are provided by certified medical professionals from the National Guard and local health departments on a first-come-first-served basis.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreOthers · 14 July 2026Federal health agency providing outbreak data and guidance for Cyclosporiasis and other disease surveillance. CDC confirmed 7,725 cases and 465 hospitalizations across multiple states for the 2026 Cyclosporiasis outbreak.
• Ohio History ConnectionminorOthersArchives vital records older than 125 years for births and 50 years for deaths. Ohio Department of Health sends older records to Ohio History Connection for preservation and provides links for customers to request historical records.
• Ohio Department of Job and Family ServicesminorOthersPartner for paternity establishment services. Acknowledgment of Paternity forms (JFS07038) must be ordered directly from Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website.
• Ohio Department of AgingminorOthersCollaborative oversight of long-term care facilities. ODH provides links to Ohio Long-Term Care Consumer Guide managed by the Department of Aging for nursing home and assisted living information.
• 111 Local Health DepartmentscoreOthersNetwork of 111 general health districts (county), city health districts, and combined health districts that implement state health programs statewide. Local departments provide vital records services, disease surveillance, and community health programs.
• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)minorOthersNational accrediting body for public health departments. Ohio Department of Health maintains PHAB accreditation demonstrating adherence to national public health standards.
• Ohio Funeral Directors AssociationminorOthersProfessional association for funeral directors who use OVRS for death record registration. ODH provides access to the Ohio Vital Records System through OHID for electronic death certification.
• Ohio State Coroners AssociationminorOthersProfessional organization for county coroners who certify cause of death in OVRS. Coroners have migrated to OVRS for electronic death record certification.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Florida Department of Health: Florida's state health agency performing identical functions including vital statistics, disease surveillance, and public health programs. Another large-state, directly comparable peer.
• California Department of Public Health: California's state public health agency, performing the equivalent role of administering vital records, disease surveillance, and health programs for the nation's largest state population. Most directly comparable peer in scope and function.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: Pennsylvania's state health agency with vital records, disease surveillance, and healthcare licensing functions. Operates in a similar Rust Belt / Midwest-Appalachian context as Ohio, making it a useful regional comparator.
• New York State Department of Health: New York's state health department managing vital records, disease control, and healthcare facility regulation across a large population. Comparable in scale and broad public health mandate.
• Texas Department of State Health Services: Texas's state health agency providing vital statistics, disease surveillance, and public health program administration for another large state population. Operates with a similar mandate and service portfolio to ODH.
• Illinois Department of Public Health: Illinois's state public health department providing the same suite of services including vital records and disease surveillance. Comparable Midwestern peer with similar population and operating environment.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The federal public health agency that partners with ODH for disease surveillance, grants, and emergency response. Operates broadly across all states and provides the federal layer above state-level agencies like ODH.

Others

• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): Represents local health departments — including Ohio's 111 local health departments coordinated by ODH. Ecosystem partner that connects state-level agencies with the local public health delivery layer.
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): National membership organization representing state health agencies including ODH. Provides peer coordination, policy advocacy, and best-practice sharing across the state health department ecosystem.
• Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE): Professional association for epidemiologists working in state health departments like ODH. Provides applied epidemiology competencies and surveillance standards that shape ODH's disease monitoring practices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oshp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBYbGpgjIoXKHwr4hYUU10g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ohdeptofhealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohiodepartmentofhealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/state-of-ohio

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ohio Department of Health