Local health department capacity and performance in New Jersey.

The Institute of Medicine's report in 1988 has spawned numerous efforts to strengthen the nation's public health system. Performance monitoring and public health practice standards have received considerable attention. All local health departments were surveyed in New Jersey to assess performance of core functions, 10 organizational practices, and organizational capacity in terms of staffing, communications, and computer capabilities. Overall, core function performance was measured at 59.7 percent and four organizational practices were measured at less than 50 percent performed. Information from this study will help direct efforts to strengthen New Jersey's public health system.