Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

What Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services does

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is a state government agency under the executive branch of the State of Missouri, headquartered at 912 Wildwood in Jefferson City and operating since 1883. The department is responsible for public health protection and senior/disabled services for the state, serving Missouri families and individuals, seniors and persons with disabilities, licensed healthcare facilities, and local public health agencies. Its functional mandate spans vital records, immunizations, WIC nutrition assistance (serving approximately 80,000 Missourians each month), disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, long-term care facility regulation, EMS licensing, oversight of supplemental health staffing agencies, and administration of the state's medical and adult-use cannabis program. DHSS holds Public Health Accreditation Board reaccreditation (December 2024) and was among the first states to fully implement the Older Americans Act final rule.

DHSS delivers services through a unified website portal (health.mo.gov) supplemented by self-service portals for vital records, immunization records, licensing applications, and cannabis licensing. Recent technology implementations include on-demand digital immunization record access (launched August 2025), an online Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) system (July 2025), a statewide telehealth network for sexual assault forensic exams, and a Digital Health Indicator for data infrastructure assessment (the first such adoption by a U.S. state health department). The cannabis regulatory system tracks microbusiness licensing, with plans to issue a minimum of 144 microbusiness licenses through lotteries.

The department is funded through state appropriations and federal grants rather than commercial revenue and is led by Director Sarah Willson (appointed by Governor Mike Kehoe on January 14, 2025), Deputy Director & General Counsel Richard W. Moore, and Deputy Director Tim Van Zandt. DHSS is classified as a government state entity domiciled in Missouri, USA, with a statewide geographic footprint and no international operations.

Name

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Legal name

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Website

https://health.mo.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is a Missouri state government agency that protects public health and delivers senior and disability services. It regulates healthcare facilities, manages vital records, administers WIC nutrition assistance, and oversees the medical and adult-use cannabis program statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Administration of Public Health Programs (92312), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial/Regional Health Departments (HLAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB), Sentinel Site & Community-Based Surveillance (HLAJANAN)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Health facility licensing
• Senior services
• Vital records management
• Emergency preparedness

Headquarters

HQ city

Jefferson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is a state government agency that delivers public health programs, senior and disability services, vital records administration, and regulatory oversight of healthcare facilities across Missouri. The agency licenses and inspects hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, EMS providers, supplemental health care staffing agencies, and cannabis facilities; issues birth and death certificates; and operates the WIC nutrition assistance program, communicable disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness initiatives. It is led by a Director appointed by the Governor of Missouri and funded through state appropriations and federal grants.

Product overview

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) operates as a state government agency providing public health services, regulatory oversight, and licensing functions. The agency's offerings consist of a unified website portal serving as the primary access point for all services, combined with numerous regulatory and service programs. These include vital records management (birth/death certificates), licensing and regulation of health care facilities (nursing homes, long-term care, EMS, supplemental health care agencies), cannabis program oversight (medical and adult-use), food safety, WIC nutrition programs, communicable disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and senior/disability services. The portfolio represents a comprehensive government service model rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Missouri DHSS Website Portal
• Licensing and Regulatory Services for Healthcare Facilities
• PASRR (Preadmission Screening and Resident Review)
• Long-Term Care Regulation
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Licensing and Oversight
• Supplemental Health Care Service Agencies Regulation
• Vital Records Services
• Cannabis Regulation Program
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
• Senior and Disability Services
• Statewide Telehealth Network for Sexual Assault Forensic Exams
• Digital Immunization Records Access
• Emergency Preparedness and Response Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Missouri WIC serves approximately 80,000 Missourians each month
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gateway to HopecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024Partnership to address breast cancer concerns in Missouri, ensuring more women have access to affordable, quality, timely breast cancer screenings and treatment care. The partnership aims to save lives and impact communities across the state.
• Missouri Cancer ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024DHSS Comprehensive Cancer Control Program partnered with the Missouri Cancer Consortium for cancer control implementation efforts
• Concentric by Ginkgo (K-12 COVID-19 Testing)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2021State-sponsored pooled COVID-19 testing program for K-12 classrooms supported by federal CDC funds to help keep classrooms open at no cost to schools
• Missouri Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Missouri on project to test domestic wastewater for Coronavirus detection and surveillance
• Missouri Developmental Disabilities CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHSS teams up with Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council to launch COVID-19 plain language guide for the disability community
• Area Agencies on AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHSS collaborates with Area Agencies on Aging to ensure vaccine access for Missouri seniors statewide
• Missouri Hospital AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHSS works with Missouri Hospital Association on clinical and regulatory guidance for Missouri hospitals

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Department of Public Health: Neighboring Midwestern state health agency with directly comparable functions including public health program administration, healthcare facility regulation, vital records, WIC, and senior services coordination.
• New York State Department of Health: New York's state health department administers public health programs, regulates healthcare facilities (including hospitals and nursing homes), runs WIC, and oversees vital records—mirroring Missouri DHSS's mandate at a larger scale.
• Florida Department of Health: Florida's state health agency with an overlapping portfolio: public health programs, county-level health department network, regulatory oversight of healthcare facilities, vital records, and emergency preparedness.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: Pennsylvania's state health agency with comparable mandate across public health programs, healthcare facility licensing, vital records, and WIC administration.
• California Department of Public Health: California's state public health department with an analogous mandate including chronic disease prevention, licensing and oversight of health facilities, vital records, and emergency response—directly comparable in scope and regulatory authority.
• Texas Department of State Health Services: Texas's primary state health agency, performing the same core functions as Missouri DHSS: public health program administration, healthcare facility licensing and regulation, vital records, and emergency preparedness across a large state population.
• Virginia Department of Health: Virginia's state health department offering parallel services—public health program administration, healthcare facility regulation, vital records, emergency preparedness—organized through a network of local health districts.
• Ohio Department of Health: Ohio's state health agency providing the same suite of public health, regulatory, vital records, and emergency preparedness services across local health departments statewide.

Others

• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): National membership organization representing the local public health agencies that partner with Missouri DHSS for last-mile service delivery—an ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Federal public health agency that funds and partners with Missouri DHSS on disease surveillance, immunization programs, and emergency response—operates in the same space at a broader national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/healthylivingmo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MODHSS
• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthyLivingMo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missouri-department-of-health-&-senior-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/healthylivingmo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services