Health and Human Services Department

The Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research was renamed the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) under the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999 which amended Title IX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299 et seq). AHRQ is the health services research arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). AHRQ is a home to research centers that specialize in major areas of health care research such as: quality improvement and patient safety, outcomes and effectiveness of care, clinical practice and technology assessment, and health care organization and delivery systems. AHRQ is also a major source of funding and technical assistance for health services research and research training at leading U.S. universities and other institutions. In addition AHRQ acts as a science partner, working with the public and private sectors to build the knowledge base for what works—and does not work—in health and health care and to translate this knowledge into everyday practice and policymaking. For more information on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and its activities, please visit the agency homepage at http://www.ahrq.gov. __________ Source: http://www.ahrq.gov/about/ahrqfact.htm.

In 1980, Congress created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to implement the health-related sections of laws that protect the public from hazardous wastes and environmental spills of hazardous substances. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly known as the "Superfund" Act, provided the Congressional mandate to remove or clean up abandoned and inactive hazardous waste sites and to provide federal assistance in toxic emergencies. As the lead Agency within the Public Health Service for implementing the health-related provisions of CERCLA, ATSDR is charged under the Superfund Act to assess the presence and nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites, to help prevent or reduce further exposure and the illnesses that result from such exposures, and to expand the knowledge base about health effects from exposure to hazardous substances.

The Administration on Aging (AoA) was created under the Older Americans Act of 1965. The AoA is the Federal agency responsible for advancing the concerns and interests of older people and their caregivers. AoA works with and through the Aging Services Network to promote the development of a comprehensive and coordinated system of home and community-based long-term care that is responsive to the needs and preferences of older people and their family caregivers. AoA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is headed by the Assistant Secretary for Aging, who reports directly to the Secretary.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of the Public Health Service, is charged with protecting the public health of the Nation by providing leadership and direction in the prevention of and control of diseases and other preventable conditions and responding to public health emergencies. Within the CDC, there are four coordinating centers, two coordinating offices, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, originally designated the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA), was established as a subagency under the Department of Health and Human Services by the Reorganization Order of march 9, 1977. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was created to administer oversight of the Medicare Program and the federal portion of the Medicaid Program. It also ensures that program beneficiaries are aware of the services for which they are eligible and that those services are accessible and of high quality and develops health and safety standards for providers of health care services authorized by Medicare and Medicaid legislation. CMS is also responsible for administering the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and several other health-related programs.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement was established pursuant to act of January 4, 1975 (42 U.S.C. 651). Its mission is to provide leadership in the planning, development, management, and coordination of the Department's Child Support Enforcement programs and activities authorized and directed by title IV-D of the Social Security Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 651), and other pertinent legislation. The general purpose of this legislation and the Child Support Enforcement programs is to require States to enforce support obligations owed by absent parents to their children by locating absent parents, establishing paternity when necessary, and obtaining child support.

The Administration for Children and Families was created April 15, 1991, under authority of section 6 of the Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953. The Administration provides advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues pertaining to children, youth, and families; child support enforcement; community services; developmental disabilities; family assistance; Native American assistance; refugee resettlement; and legalized aliens.

All Americans—including people with disabilities and older adults—should be able to live at home with the supports they need, participating in communities that value their contributions. To help meet these needs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created a new organization, the Administration for Community Living (ACL). ACL brings together the efforts and achievements of the Administration on Aging, the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the HHS Office on Disability to serve as the Federal agency responsible for increasing access to community supports, while focusing attention and resources on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities across their lifespan.

The Office of Family Assistance administers the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs. The TANF Bureau provides assistance and work opportunities to needy families by granting States, Territories and Tribes the federal funds and wide flexibility to develop and implement their own welfare programs. The Child Care Bureau (CCB) provides funds to States, Territories and Tribes to support low-income working families' access to affordable, quality early care and afterschool programs. In February 2006, former President George W. Bush signed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which reauthorized the TANF program. The DRA reauthorization also included $150 million for discretionary grants to support programs designed to help couples form and sustain healthy marriages. Up to $50 million of this amount may be used for programs designed to encourage responsible fatherhood.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, the Nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by accelerating innovations to make medicines more effective and providing the public with accurate, science-based information on medicines and food to improve their health. FDA plays a significant role in addressing the Nation's counterterrorism capability and ensuring the security of the food supply.

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) was created in 1977 to combine under one administration the oversight of the Medicare program, the Federal portion of the Medicaid program, and related quality assurance activities. Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and over, younger people who are receiving social security disability benefits, and persons who need dialysis or kidney transplants for treatment of end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is a medical assistance program jointly financed by State and Federal governments for eligible low-income individuals. It covers health care expenses for all recipients of Aid to Families With Dependent Children, and most States also cover the needy elderly, blind, and disabled receiving cash assistance under the Supplemental Security Income Program. Coverage also is extended to certain infants and low-income pregnant women and, at the option of the State, other low-income individuals with medical bills that qualify them as categorically or medically needy. The Medicare/Medicaid programs include a quality assurance focal point to carry out the quality assurance provisions of the Medicare and Medicaid programs; the development and implementation of health and safety standards of care providers in Federal health programs; and the implementation of the end-stage renal disease and the peer review provisions. HCFA was renamed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July, 2001.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) was created in 1982 as a subagency of the Department of the Health and Human Services. Formed from the merger of the Health Resources Administration and Health Services Administration, HRSA is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable. Among its duties, HRSA provides leadership and financial support to health care providers in every State and U.S. Territory; it oversees organ, bone marrow and cord blood donation; it supports programs that prepare against bioterrorism, compensates individuals harmed by vaccination, and maintains databases that protect against health care malpractice and health care waste, fraud and abuse.

The Indian Health Service, as part of the Public Health Service, provides a comprehensive health services delivery system for American Indians and Alaska Natives. It assists Native American tribes in developing their health programs; facilitates and assists tribes in coordinating health planning, obtaining and utilizing health resources available through Federal, State, and local programs, operating comprehensive health programs, and evaluating health programs; and provides comprehensive health care services including hospital and ambulatory medical care, preventive and rehabilitative services, and development of community sanitation facilities.

The mission of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), as mandated by Public Law 95-452 (as amended), is to protect the integrity of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs, as well as the health and welfare of the beneficiaries of those programs. OIG has a responsibility to report both to the Secretary and to the Congress program and management problems and recommendations to correct them. OIG's duties are carried out through a nationwide network of audits, investigations, evaluations and other mission related functions performed by OIG components.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports biomedical and behavioral research domestically and abroad, conducts research in its own laboratories and clinics, trains research scientists, and develops and disseminates credible, science-based health information to the public.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, has been a center of information innovation since its founding in 1836. The world’s largest biomedical library, NLM maintains and makes available a vast print collection and produces electronic information resources on a wide range of topics that are searched billions of times each year by millions of people around the globe. It also supports and conducts research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology. In addition, the Library coordinates a 6,000-member National Network of Libraries of Medicine that promotes and provides access to health information in communities across the United States.

The Program Support Center provides information concerning fee-for-service activities in the areas of acquisitions, occupational health, information technology support, human resources, financial management, and administrative operations.

The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) was structured under the Public Health Service Act of 1944as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) which was later renamed the United States Department of health and Human Services (HHS). The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and Human Services including: -Administration for Children and Families (ACF); -Administration on Aging (AoA); -Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); -Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR); -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); -Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); -Federal Occupational Health (FOH); -Food and Drug Administration (FDA); -Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); -Indian health Service (HIS); -National Institutes of Health (NIH); -Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); and -Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The central mission of the PHS is to protect the health of the country's population.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) was established by Congress under The Refugee Act of 1980. This Act incorporates the definition of "refugee" used in the U.N. Protocol, and makes provision for regular flow as well as emergency admission of refugees, and authorizes federal assistance for the resettlement of refugees. Individuals granted refugee status overseas by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are brought to the United States for resettlement by the U.S. Department of State. Voluntary agencies and ORR through their programs assist with their resettlement and integration into the U.S. Refugees are eligible to receive ORR benefits and services from the first day they arrive in the U.S. Founded on the belief that newly arriving populations have inherent capabilities when given opportunities, the goal of the ORR is to provide people in need with critical resources to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society.

The mission of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is to assist the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies and disasters. ASPR accomplishes its mission in several ways, including: developing, stockpiling, and distributing response tools against multiple threats; sending clinical response teams to places in times of crisis; and ensuring its healthcare and public health partners have the knowledge and tools they need to navigate today's challenges and confront whatever challenges lay ahead.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funds and administers grant programs and contracts that support, expand, enhance, and improve the quality, availability, and range of substance abuse treatment and mental health services. SAMHSA has a matrix management system that outlines and guides its activities to improve the accountability, capacity, and effectiveness of the Nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health service delivery systems. The system includes 11 program priority areas: co-occurring disorders, substance abuse treatment capacity, seclusion and restraint, children and families, mental health system transformation, suicide prevention, homelessness, older adults, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, criminal and juvenile, and workforce development.