Efficiency and the Public's Health

The Governor's Survey on Efficiency and Cost Control, established by Governor Reagan's executive order, was a non-profit, bipartisan, privately financed management analysis of State administration conducted by private citizens, including physicians, during 1967 for the purpose of achieving improvement in administrative procedure and operating economies in State government. State employees and appointed department heads offered many valuable suggestions and cooperated fully with the survey team. Two hundred recommendations were submitted to the Governor for improvement in the Departments of Public Health and Mental Hygiene, the Office of Health Care Services and the organizations under the Secretary of Human Relations. The recommendations for the health-related administrative units concerned reorganization and consolidation of departments and units, improvement in administrative and operating methods and improvement of services. Annual savings of several hundred million dollars could result. None of the recommendations were for reduction in services and none concerned individual employees or appointees. Assistance in and support for the implementation of the recommendations will be needed from legislators, responsible citizens and organizations interested in efficient and economical government.