The State Department of Health shall within funds appropriated and available therefor be charged with the responsibility of carrying out the obligations herein assumed by the State as its share of the task of providing for prevention, early detection and control of chronic illness and rehabilitation of the chronic sick and it shall also:

(a) Arrange for joint discussion of the general problem of the chronic sick with representatives of all State agencies and departments engaged in health, welfare and education and with representatives of the several counties, municipalities and health districts, general and special hospitals, voluntary agencies and institutions, and the medical, dental, nursing and allied professions, for the purpose of formulating an adequate program for dealing with the problem of the chronic sick and to determine a formula for the ultimate division of the governmental share of the cost thereof between municipalities, counties and the State;

(b) Plan for the provision of adequate visiting nurse and housekeeping aid services by appropriate public or private agencies throughout the State, to the end that the nursing and medical care being furnished the chronic sick in their own homes shall be improved in every manner possible;

(c) Collect and prepare all available information designed to acquaint the professions and the public with the best and most modern methods of preventing chronic sickness and its early detection and control, and caring for and rehabilitating the chronic sick, and arranging for the distribution thereof through all possible media so that the greatest number of persons may benefit therefrom;

(d) Collect, prepare and distribute information including statistics which will afford the general public greater insight into the significance, character and magnitude of the problem of prevention of chronic sickness as well as insight into the problem of the care and rehabilitation of the chronic sick in order to secure a more active interest of the general public in such problems;

(e) Perform and encourage research activities as to the best and most modern methods of prevention, discovery, treatment and cure of chronic diseases and the care and rehabilitation of persons affected and for the analysis of such data and for the dissemination of such information to the professions and agencies engaged in providing for the chronic sick, as well as to the general public;

(f) In effectuation of (e) study the problem of prevention and detection of all types of chronic disease by laboratory, statistical and community co-operative methods and by such other methods as may be deemed advisable;

(g) Assist in promoting and strengthening of child and adult health programs for the purpose of preventing or retarding the development of chronic illnesses;

(h) Maintain and expand co-operative relationships with all professional and public and private agencies responsible for and interested in, the prevention and detection of chronic illness and in the care and rehabilitation of the chronic sick.

L.1952, c. 102, p. 439, s. 6.