Federal Government Links & Resources

Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS) Agencies and Offices

  • Administration for Children and Families (ACF) a federal agency funding state, territory, local, and tribal organizations to provide family assistance (welfare), child support, child care, Head Start, child welfare, and other programs relating to children and families.
  • Administration on Aging (AoA) is one of the nation’s largest providers of home- and community-based care for older persons and their caregivers through promoting the dignity and independence of older people, and to help society prepare for an aging population.
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. Information from AHRQ’s research helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services. AHRQ was formerly known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people – at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is organized around three Centers: Center for Medicaid and State Operations focuses on Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), insurance regulation functions, survey and certification, and the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Act (CLIA), the Center for Medicare Management on management of the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program and the Center for Beneficiary Choices includes management of the Medicare+Choice and provides beneficiaries with information on Medicare, Medicare Select, Medicare+Choice and Medigap options.
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA) promotes and protects the public health by helping safe and effective products reach the market in a timely way, and monitoring products for continued safety after they are in use.
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one of the world’s foremost medical research centers and the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States. The NIH is comprised of 27 separate Institutes and Centers and its’ goal is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability. NIH conducts research in its own laboratories; supports the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information.
  • Office of the Surgeon General The Office of the Surgeon General, under the direction of the Surgeon General, oversees the 6,000-member Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and provides support for the Surgeon General in the accomplishment of other duties.
  • Office of Minority Health (OMH) seeks to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities.
  • Office on Women’s Health (OWH) is the government’s champion and focal point for women’s health issues, and works to redress inequities in research, health care services, and education that have historically placed the health of women at risk. It coordinates women’s health efforts in HHS to eliminate disparities in health status and supports culturally sensitive educational programs that encourage women to take personal responsibility for their own health and wellness.
  • Office for Civil Rights (OCR) promotes and ensures that people have equal access to and opportunity to participate in and receive services in all HHS programs without facing unlawful discrimination.
  • Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) under the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), who serves as the Secretary’s primary advisor on matters involving the nation’s public health and oversees HHS’ U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) for the Secretary. The PHS is comprised of the eight health agency divisions of HHS and the Commissioned Corps, a uniformed service of more than 6,000 health professionals who serve at HHS and other federal agencies.
  • Office of Emergency Preparedness has the Departmental responsibility for managing and coordinating Federal health, medical, and health related social services and recovery to major emergencies and Federally declared disasters including: Natural Disasters, Technological Disasters, Major Transportation Accidents and Terrorism.
  • Office of Global Health Affairs promotes the health of the world’s population by advancing the Department of Health and Human Services’ global strategies and partnerships, thus serving the health of the people of the United States.
  • Policy Information Center central source of information on policy research and evaluations conducted or supported by DHHS.