This study is intended to ascertain the issues caused by the bioterrorism program by describing the experiences of public health professionals in Utah. Previous research has indicated that the problem is inadequate planning, and unclear directives have created a bioterrorism program that is ineffective and inefficient in providing adequate protection for its citizens. However, almost no research exists about administrative issues concerning the bioterrorism program within local health departments. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore and describe the administrative issues faced by Utah's local public health departments as a result of the bioterrorism program. Narrative inquiry, a qualitative approach, was used for in-depth interviews with 12 executive health officers and bioterrorism coordinators of 3 rural and 3 urban health departments. Categorical aggregation was used to identify a circumstance and event. Patterns were then listed that occurred among the cases. Finally, the research developed a generalization from the data. The study illustrated the impact of the program on local health departments, its short-term success, and the long-term effects on existing core public health programs. The social implication of these findings is that public health administrators can administer a successful bioterrorism program and, simultaneously, improve core public health programs, and services for the protection of the nation's health.