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Digital talk Blog

September 27, 2012

By: Richard Stapleton, Deputy Director, Web Communications and New Media Division

Find out what interaction with the public means to us on the HHS Digital Strategy website and Digitalk blog. 

September 24, 2012

By: Jon Booth Director, Website & New Media Group, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a major redesign of the Medicare.gov website making content more accessible and easier for beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to understand.

September 12, 2012

By: Richard Stapleton, Deputy Director, Web Communications and New Media Division

We’re getting lots of comments, as you can see; some critical; some complimentary, some questioning.  One question jumped out as a great way to explain just what “interaction” means here, and how we hope to benefit from the conversation:

September 7, 2012

By: Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Typically when you think of government, the word “innovation” isn’t the first word that comes to mind. Well it’s time to change that! The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proud to announce that for the first time ever, the public will have the opportunity to vote on the finalists of the HHSinnovates Program. That means, your vote will help determine which project will be selected as the winner of the “People’s Choice”.

September 4, 2012

By: Prudence Goforth, Director, Web Communications and New Media Division

Thanks to everyone who has commented and do keep your comments coming. We have received thoughtful, good ideas on what you want to see. Many encourage the use of mobile so that access is immediate when and where health information or services are needed. I want to answer some of the comments here and will continue do so from time to time.

August 30, 2012

By: Andrew Wilson, SAMHSA Office of Communications

Public participation and collaboration are central to making the Digital Strategy work. At the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), they are central to our work to improve the organization and presentation of SAMHSA’s website.

August 23, 2012

By: Prudence Goforth, Director, Web Communications and New Media Division

Digital Strategy. The new buzzword. A fancy way (in government-speak) of saying we’re going to manage the Web strategically; cut loose our content, work better and put people first. We have a start, but we have miles to go, and we need you to help guide the way.

The concept rocks! But it demands serious change. We need your ideas. We need to ask your opinion. And we will listen.

August 23, 2012

By Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Chief Information Officer, Steven VanRoekel released the federal government’s new digital strategy which aims to shift the way government information is accessed and consumed. Instead of focusing on producing a final product, which has been common practice for years, the government will now be making content more accurate, available and secure. One major tool in the information technology tool box being used to achieve this goal is the use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

August 23, 2012

By: Lakshmi Grama, Senior Digital Content Strategist, NCI Office of Communications and Education (NIH)

Who seeks cancer information on a mobile phone? What information would they be looking for? These were some of the questions that my colleagues and I faced as we planned our strategy to help people access NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) resources anywhere, anytime, on any device.

By the Numbers

  • 32
  • API-enabled databases
  • 33
  • Mobile websites & apps
  • 1.3 million
  • Static webpages

HHS Digital Strategy Milestones
HTML · XML · JSON

Read the Digital
Government Strategy


Principles Into Practice!

This website puts Digital Strategy to work:

  • Multiple Calls to Action
  • Moderated blog
  • Open source platform
  • RSS Content feed
  • Social media engagement
  • Fully 508 accessible
  • Plain Language
  • Metrics on every page
  • Mobile-ready coming soon!