Department of Health and Human Services
Protects the health and well-being of Americans
Mission & Role
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Department of the U.S. federal government
"Department of Health and Human Services" redirects here. For government departments by that name in other jurisdictions, see Department of Health and Human Services (disambiguation).
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Seal of the US Department of Health and Human Services |
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Flag of the US Department of Health and Human Services |
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Show in full screenWikimedia | © OpenStreetMap |
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Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Department headquarters |
| Department overview |
| Formed | April 11, 1953 (as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) |
| Preceding agencies | - Federal Security Agency
- United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | Hubert H. Humphrey Building
Washington, D.C. |
| Motto | Make America Healthy Again[1] |
| Employees | 80,000 
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| Annual budget | $1.631 trillion (2022)[2] |
| Secretary responsible | - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. |
| Deputy Secretary responsible | - Vacant |
| Department executive | - Matt Buckham, Chief of Staff |
| Website | hhs.gov |
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to set guidelines for the private healthcare system and providing essential human services in areas such as funding medical studies. Before the separate federal Department of Education was created in 1979, it was called the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). HHS is administered by the secretary of health and human services, who is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The [United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps](https://e
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History
History
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Federal Security Agency
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Main article: Federal Security Agency
The Federal Security Agency (FSA) was established on July 1, 1939, under the Reorganization Act of 1939, P.L. 76–19. The objective was to bring together in one agency all federal programs in the fields of health, education, and social security. The first Federal Security Administrator was Paul V. McNutt.[3] The new agency originally consisted of the following major components: (1) Office of the Administrator, (2) Public Health Service (PHS), (3) Office of Education, (4) Civilian Conservation Corps, and (5) Social Security Board.[ citation needed]
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
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The seal and flag of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until 1979
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) was created on April 11, 1953, when Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 became effective. HEW thus became the first new Cabinet-level department since the Department of Labor was created in 1913. The Reorganization Plan abolished the FSA and transferred all of its functions to the secretary of HEW and all components of the agency to the department. The first secretary of HEW was Oveta Culp Hobby, a native of Texas, who had served as commander of the Women's Army Corps in World War II and was editor and publisher of the Houston Post. Sworn in on April 11, 1953, as secretary, she was FSA administrator from January 21, 1953 until July 1955, stepping down to take care of her ill husband.[4][5]
The six major program-operating components of the new department were the Public Health Service, the Office of Education, the Food and Drug Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and St. Elizabeth's Hospital. The department was also responsible for three federally aided corporations: Howard University, the American Printing House for the Blind, and the Columbia Institution for the Deaf (Gallaudet College since 1954).[6]
Department of Health and Human Services
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The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on October 17, 1979,[7] when its education functions were transferred to the newly created United States Department of Education under the Department of Education Organization Act.[8] HHS was left in charge of the Social Security Administration, agencies constituting the Public Health Service, and Family Support Administration.[ _[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
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Programs & Activities
Programs
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The Department of Health and Human Services administers 115 programs across its 11 operating divisions.[24] The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aims to "protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves."[25] These federal programs consist of social service programs, civil rights and healthcare privacy programs, disaster preparedness programs, and health-related research. HHS offers a variety of social service programs geared toward persons with low income, disabilities, military families, and senior citizens.[26] Healthcare rights are defined under HHS in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA) which protect patient's privacy in regards to medical information, protects workers health insurance when unemployed, and sets guidelines surrounding some health insurance. HHS collaborates with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Office of Emergency Management to prepare and respond to health emergencies.[27][28] A broad array of health-related research is supported or completed under the HHS; secondarily under HHS, the Health Resources & Service Administration houses data warehouses and makes health data available surrounding a multitude of topics.[29][30] HHS also has vast offering of health-related resources and tools to help educate the public on health policies and pertinent population health information. Some examples of available resources include disease prevention, wellness, health insurance information, as well as links to healthcare providers and facilities, meaningful health-related materials, public health, and safety information.[31][32][33][34][35][36]
Some highlights include:
- AI in health and social science research
- Preventing disease, including immunization services
- ARPA-H
- Assuring food and drug safety
- Medicare (health insurance for elderly and disabled Americans) and Medicaid (health insurance for low-income people)
- Health information technology
- Financial assistance and services for low-income families
- Improving maternal and infant health, including a Nurse Home Visitation to support first-time mothers
- Head Start (pre-school education and services)
- Faith-based and community initiatives
- Preventing child abuse and domestic violence
- Substance abuse treatment and prevention
- Services for older Americans, including home-delivered meals
- Comprehensive health services for Native Americans
- Assets for Independence
- Medical preparedness for emergencies, including potential terrorism
- Child support enforcement[37]
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
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This pro
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Agency overview, history, and program data sourced from Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
Key Regulations
HIPAA Privacy Rule
Protects patient health information by limiting how healthcare providers and insurers can use and share medical records.
HIPAA Security Rule
Requires healthcare organizations to implement security safeguards to protect electronic patient health data.
HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
Requires healthcare organizations to notify patients and HHS when their health information is improperly accessed or disclosed.
Conditions of Participation for Hospitals
Sets quality and safety standards that hospitals must meet to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments.
Enforcement Actions
No enforcement actions found for HHS in the current dataset.