Given the growing concern and complexities of health issues in this state, it is the intent of the General Assembly to create a Department of Community Health dedicated to health issues. Recognizing that the manner in which health care is currently administered at the state level is fragmented and often unresponsive to health care issues, the new department is created for the following purposes:

(1) To serve as the lead planning agency for all health issues in the state to remedy the current situation wherein the responsibility for health care policy, purchasing, planning, and regulation is spread among many different agencies;

(2) To permit the state to maximize its purchasing power inasmuch as the state now has none of its health care purchasing coordinated;

(3) To minimize duplication and maximize administrative efficiency in the state's health care systems by removing overlapping functions and streamlining uncoordinated programs;

(4) To allow the state to develop a better health care infrastructure that is more responsive to the consumers it serves while improving access to and coverage for health care; and

(5) To focus more attention and departmental procedures on the issue of wellness, including diet, exercise, and personal responsibility.