The Department - FAQs:

PSC is the Program Support Center of The Department of Health and Human Services. As a part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA) the Center was created in 1995 to provide a wide range of administrative support within HHS, allowing the Department Operating Divisions to concentrate on their core functional and operational objectives.

For more information visit the PSC website or contact PSC directly.

 History of HHS

The roots of the Department of Health and Human Services go back to the earliest days of the nation. In the year...

1798 : Passage of an act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen, which established a federal network of hospitals for the care of merchant seamen, forerunner of today's U.S. Public Health Service.

1862 : President Lincoln appointed a chemist, Charles M. Wetherill, to serve in the new Department of Agriculture. This was the beginning of the Bureau of Chemistry, forerunner to the Food and Drug Administration.

1871 : Appointment of the first Supervising Surgeon (later called Surgeon General) for the Marine Hospital Service, which had been organized the prior year.

1878 : Passage of the National Quarantine Act began the transfer of quarantine functions from the states to the federal Marine Hospital Service.

1887 : The federal government opened a one-room laboratory on Staten Island for research on disease, thereby planting the seed that was to grow into the National Institutes of Health.

1891 : Passage of immigration legislation, assigning to the Marine Hospital Service the responsibility for medical examination of arriving immigrants.

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1902 : Conversion of Marine Hospital Service into the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service in recognition of its expanding activities in the field of public health. In 1912, the name was shortened to the Public Health Service.

1906 : Congress passed the Pure Food and Drugs Act, authorizing the government to monitor the purity of foods and the safety of medicines, now a responsibility of the FDA.

1912 : President Theodore Roosevelt's first White House Conference urged creation of the Children's Bureau to combat exploitation of children.

1921 : The Bureau of Indian Affairs Health Division was created, the forerunner to the Indian Health Service.

1930 : Creation of the National Institute (late Institutes) of Health, out of the Public Health Service's Hygenic Laboratory.

1935 : Passage of the Social Security Act.

1938 : Passage of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

1939 : The Federal Security Agency was created, bringing together related federal activities in the fields of health, education and social insurance.

1946 : The Communicable Disease Center was established, forerunner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1953: The Cabinet-level Department of Health, Education and Welfare was created under President Eisenhower, officially coming into existence April 11, 1953. In 1979, the Department of Education Organization Act was signed into law, providing for a separate Department of Education. HEW became the Department of Health and Human Services, officially arriving on May 4, 1980.

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Some highlight dates in HEW and HHS history:

1955 : Licensing of the Salk polio vaccine. The Indian Health Service was transferred to HHS from the Department of Interior.

1961 : First White House Conference on Aging.

1962 : Passage of the Migrant Health Act, providing support for clinics serving agricultural workers.

1964 : Release of the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health.

1965 : Creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, making comprehensive health care available to millions of Americans. Also in 1965, the Older Americans Act created the nutritional and social programs administered by HHS Administration on Aging. In addition, the Head Start program was created.

1966 : International Smallpox Eradication program established -- led by the U.S. Public Health Service, the worldwide eradication of smallpox was accomplished in 1977. Also in 1966, the Community Health Center and Migrant Health Center programs were launched.

1970 : Creation of the National Health Service Corps.

1971 : National Cancer Act signed into law.

1975 : Child Support Enforcement program established.

1977 : Creation of the Health Care Financing Administration to manage Medicare and Medicaid separately from the Social Security Administration.

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1980 : Federal funding provided to states for foster care and adoption assistance.

1981 : Identification of AIDS. In 1984, the HIV virus was identified by PHS and French scientists. In 1985, a blood test to detect HIV was licensed.

1984 : National Organ Transplantation Act signed into law.

1988 : Creation of the JOBS program and federal support for child care.
Passage of the McKinney Act to provide health care to the homeless.

1989 : Creation of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (now the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality).

1990 : Human Genome Project established. Passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, authorizing the food label. Also, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency (CARE) Act began providing support for people with AIDS.

1993 : The Vaccines for Children Program is established, providing free immunizations to all children in low-income families.

1995 : The Social Security Administration became an independent agency.

1996 : Enactment of welfare reform under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Enactment of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

1997 : Creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), enabling states to extend health coverage to more uninsured children.

1999 : The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 is signed, making it possible for millions of Americans with disabilities to join the workforce without fear of losing their Medicaid and Medicare coverage. It also modernizes the employment services system for people with disabilities. Initiative on combating bioterrorism is launched.

2000 : Publication of human genome sequencing.

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2001 : The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid is created, replacing the Health Care Financing Administration. HHS responds to the nation's first bioterrorism attack -- delivery of anthrax through the mail.

2002 : Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness created to coordinate efforts against bioterrorism and other emergency health threats.

2003 : Enactment of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the most significant expansion of Medicare since its enactment, including a prescription drug benefit.

2006: Medicare Part D, a federal program to subsidize the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, went into effect on January 1, 2006.

2010: The Affordable Care Act  was signed on March 23, 2010, puting in place comprehensive health insurance reforms.

• Health Insurance Finder  was launched July 2010 to assist the public with finding affordable health care insurance options.

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HHS is comprised of 11 agencies (also known as Operating Divisions) and 16 staff divisions and is headed by the Secretary for Health and Human Services.

An organizational chart is available at http://www.hhs.gov/about/orgchart.html

You may want to visit the Web sites of our agencies to learn about the offices within each of these branches:

• OS - Office of the Secretary
• ACF - Administration for Children & Families
• ACL - Administration for Community Living
• AHRQ - Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
• ATSDR - Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease
• CDC - Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
• CMS - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• FDA - Food & Drug Administration
• HRSA - Health Resources & Services Administration
• IHS - Indian Health Service
• NIH - National Institutes of Health
• OIG - Office of Inspector General
• SAMHSA - Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

The Social Security Administration (SSA), formerly a part of HHS, became an independent federal agency on March 31, 1995. For more information about your social security records, retirement and disability benefits, and assistance for survivors of benefit recipients, please contact SSA at http://www.ssa.gov.

HHS sponsors a number of online training programs in many categories. To learn more, select from the following:

Library of Online Training Programs

• CDC Learning Connection
  CDC Learning Connection launched in November, 2010, is designed to help you locate learning products developed by CDC and CDC partners for the public health community. Check back often to access the growing collection of free products in a variety of media formats, including podcasts, e-learning, electronic publications, and live events.
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Educational Tutorials (NHLIB)
  The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers tutorials for the public on heart and vascular, cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight and physical activity, and sleep disorders.

Healthy Lifestyles

• Understanding Your Body (AHRQ)
  Understanding Your Body provides easy-to-understand explanations of body systems and disease conditions. This material can be used for patient education, life sciences curriculum development, or to enhance public understanding of general health concepts. Permission for such use is not required, but citation as to source is requested.
• Next Steps After Your Diagnosis, Finding Information and Support (AHRQ)
  Next Steps After Your Diagnosis offers general advice for people with almost any disease or condition. And it has tips to help you learn more about your specific problem and how it can be treated. The information here is presented in a simple way to help you scan the material and read only what you need right now. Organizations, publications, and other resources are included if you would like to know more. This online version has many additional resources with their Internet links. This document is also available in Spanish.

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Disease/Condition-Related Training

• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Education/Training Courses and Materials (SAMHSA)
  Information on this site is primarily for professionals working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
• Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Education and Training Centers
  The AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports a network of 11 regional centers (and more than 130 local associated sites) that conduct targeted, multidisciplinary education and training programs for health care providers treating people living with HIV/AIDS. The AETCs serve all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the 6 U.S. Pacific Jurisdictions. The AETC Program increases the number of health care providers who are effectively educated and motivated to counsel, diagnose, treat, and medically manage people with HIV disease, and to help prevent high-risk behaviors that lead to HIV transmission.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Curriculum Self-Study Modules for Clinicians (CDC)
  Seven web-based educational modules, each based on a specific STD topic. Each module is considered to be an individual course, and a student may complete as many modules as he or she chooses.
• Video: Smallpox: What Every Clinician Should Know (CDC)
  The purpose of the Smallpox: What Every Clinician Should Know video is to provide clinicians with information on the virology, epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnosis of smallpox; the characteristics and use of smallpox vaccine; and proper management of smallpox vaccine recipients.
• National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death & Pregnancy Loss Resource Center Training Toolkit
  A number of resources are available to assist professionals, first responders, and parents to reduce the risk of sudden death in young children.

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Public Health and Health Care

• NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education
  The NIH Office of intramural Training & Education (OITE) is a division of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR), Office of the Director (OD). The mission is to enhance the training experience of students and fellows on all of the NIH campuses. The staff works closely with the Training Offices in the NIH Institutes and Centers to help trainees in the Intramural Research Program (IRP). The intramural program is the sum of all the research projects carried out by NIH investigators and trainees in NIH facilities) develop scientific and professional skills that will enable them to become leaders in the biomedical research community.
• Public Health Assessment Process Interactive Learning Program (CDC/ATSDR)
  This program provides an overview of the public health assessment process that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) uses to evaluate whether people will be harmed by hazardous materials from waste sites or from other places where hazardous substances have been spilled or released into the environment.
• Environmental Health and Medicine Education (ATSDR)
  Environmental medicine education products present current environmental medicine content drawn from peer-reviewed medical literature. These products are accredited for free continuing education.
• Health Information Technology Knowledge Library (AHRQ)
  In an effort to ensure that stakeholders are on the same page when talking about health IT, we have developed a series of key topic articles. Each article includes beginner-level background information on the topic, a description of current activities in this part of the field, and lessons emerging from the array of projects sponsored by AHRQ. These articles also include recommended tools and resources for individuals engaged in health IT projects.
   

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Drug and Food

• Training & Continuing Education Courses from the FDA
  Information on state-level resources for food investigators; online training for health professionals about the safe use of medicine and the drug regulatory process; and online courses for industry on safety and effectiveness of medical devices and exposure to radiation from medical devices.
• Make Your Calories Count: Use the Nutrition Facts Label for Health Weight Management (FDA)
  Make Your Calories Count is an interactive learning program that provides consumers with information to help plan a healthful diet while managing calorie intake. The exercises will help consumers use the food label to make decisions about which food choice is right for them. For simplicity, the program presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium).

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Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Radiological Terrorism: Medical Response to Mass Casualties (CDC)
  The purpose of this training is to prepare clinicians in first receiver settings to: (1) Identify factors impacting immediate medical response to mass casualties following major types of radiological incidents, and (2) Demonstrate appropriate patient assessment, triage, treatment and disposition decision-making required during a radiological mass casualty incident.
   
• Radiation Emergency Training & Education Webcasts (CDC)
  Topics include basic components of
  • radiological population monitoring guidelines,
  • key radiation principles & procedures,
  • protective measures and evacuation and sheltering guidelines
  • signs and symptoms of radiation syndrome
  • decontamination of patients

• Video: The History of Bioterrorism (CDC)
  These videos describe the Category A diseases: smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. If these germs were used to intentionally infect people, they would cause the most illness and death. Watch these videos to learn how some of these agents have been or can be used as bioterrorist weapons.

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Research/Researchers

• Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams Login (NIH)
  This free, web-based course presents information about the rights and welfare of human participants in research. The tutorial is designed for those involved in conducting research involving human participants.
• Incorporating Cancer Clinical Trials Into Your Practice (NIH)
  A Web-based course for healthcare professionals who are new to the clinical trials research process. The course contains practical information for professionals interested in referring patients to clinical trials, or conducting clinical trials, for the first time.
• Clinical Research Training for Principal Investigators at the NIH Clinical Center
  This program responds to the federal mandate requiring human subjects protection education for research teams at the NIH Clinical Center.
• Research and Training Opportunities at the National Institutes of Health
  Information about career advancement and services, internships, and enrichment opportunities in research training.
• National Human Genome Research Institute Training Programs
  The National Human Genome Research Institute provides a wide range of programs aimed at furthering the professional training and career development of students, educators, health professionals and research scientists. This page describes the various training and educational opportunities available for individuals at various stages of their careers.
• Stem Cell Training Programs
  NIH provides listings of trainings of stem cell research training programs.
• Research in NIH Labs & Clinics
  Learn about NIH training opportunities, lab research support, clinical research support, computational biology, and other Federal Resources.
• Diversity Training Programs
  The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) Diversity Training Branch (DTB), leads NCI’s efforts in the training of students and investigators from diverse populations who will be part of the next generation of competitive researchers in cancer and cancer health disparities research.
• Medical Informatics Training Program
  The Lister Hill Center provides training opportunities for individuals at various stages in their careers.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Training and Career Development
  Information about the training programs and grant mechanisms for students and researchers.
• Extramural Training Mechanisms grants and Fellowships
  Funding opportunities for training programs.
  

At the Department of Health and Human Services, our mission is to help provide the building blocks that Americans need to live healthy, successful lives.  We fulfill that mission every day by providing millions of children, families, and seniors with access to high-quality health care, by helping people find jobs and parents find affordable child care, by keeping the food on Americans’ shelves safe and infectious diseases at bay, and by pushing the boundaries of how we diagnose and treat disease.

To achieve these goals, we must always keep an eye on the future – to prepare for the next public health emergency, to pursue the next lifesaving cure, and to support the development of the next generation of Americans.  But we must also frequently look closer at old programs and existing services and ask:  What needs to be changed?  How can we serve Americans better?  What can be done less expensively, faster and more transparently?

These priorities reflect both considerations – a clear-eyed view of the new investments we will need to meet the challenges and opportunities of a new decade, and a tough-minded assessment about how we can reform and refocus existing programs to make an even bigger difference in Americans’ lives.

Together, they form our vision for how our department can contribute to an even stronger, healthier, and more prosperous America in the years to come.

There are three ways to submit a FOIA request:

1. Online - Go to the OS Submit a FOIA Request web page and complete the form.
    
2. Mail - Submit your request to the OS FOIA Office at the following address:
   OS Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts Division
   330 C Street, S.W.
   Switzer Building, Room 2206
   Washington, D.C.  20201
    
3. Fax – Fax a letter stating your request to:  (202) 690-8320

1. The FOIA Request is received and logged in.
    
2. Request is sent to program office within HHS for a search for responsive records.
    
3. Program office conducts a search and sends responsive records, if any, to the FOIA Office.
    
4. The FOIA office:

• reviews the records;
• coordinates with other components, agencies and entities that have in interest in the disposition of the records;
• prepares records for release or withholding as appropriate under the FOIA; and
• responds with any released records to the requester.
   

When your request is logged into the tracking system, you will receive a letter or card to acknowledge its receipt.  Under the FOIA program, agencies initially have 20 working days and may take an additional ten (10) working days to respond to the request.  The Office of the Secretary (OS) FOIA office will do its best to meet this deadline, but the nature of your request can be a factor in the speed of processing. 

Some factors affecting the processing may include:  

1. whether or not your request asks for a large volume of records, as opposed to a small amount,
2. the detail and adequacy of the description of the records you want,
3. whether or not a search must done in multiple organizational components and/or geographical locations, 
4. whether the request requires significant consultation or coordination with various components or agencies,
5. whether your letter includes a statement of willingness to pay all FOIA processing fees,
6. whether or not the request requires substantial review of material which may be exempt from release, or
7. whether the request is complex in other ways, for example, if it seeks very old records, or if the information requires consultation with the original submitter of proprietary data prior to release.

To assure a faster processing time for your request, we ask that you:

1. limit your request to the minimum records needed,
2. provide a clear and concise description of the information sought, including any available information as to which organizational component or geographic location you believe may contain the records, and
3. provide a statement of willingness to pay FOIA processing services fees.
    

Under the FOIA, the government may withhold portions or all of some records if the records contain information that falls under any of the nine FOIA exemptions.  The OS FOIA Office makes every attempt to provide a full release where possible, this is not always possible.  The following are the most commonly cited exemptions which form the basis for withholding records.

1. Exemption 3: Protects information that is prohibited from disclosure by a statute other than the FOIA.   
2. Exemption 4: Protects trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information.  
3. Exemption 5: Permits the withholding of inter- and intra-agency records, which are predecisional and contain staff advice, opinion and recommendation.  This exemption is intended to preserve free and candid internal dialogue leading to decision-making, and includes the attorney-client privilege and/or the attorney work product privilege.
4. Exemption 6: Permits the withholding of information that if released would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.
5. Exemption 7: Protects certain law enforcement records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes.

To learn more about the exemptions, you may wish to view the FOIA, as amended, including the statutory exemption language: (http://www.justice.gov/oip/amended-foia-redlined-2010.pdf).

If FOIA records are withheld, in part or in full, your response letter will include a statement of your appeal rights.  The letter will say that you may appeal and provide instructions on how to appeal. 

If you do appeal, it will be logged into the Office of the Secretary's FOIA tracking system, and the initial request will be reconsidered in light of the issues you raise in your appeal.  The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA), or his/her designee, will respond on behalf of the Department as to the final determination on the appeal. 

• If the decision is to reverse, in whole or part, an initial determination to withhold records, you will receive the records that were withheld.  If your appeal is denied, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), which offers mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies.  Using OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue litigation.
   
• If your appeal is denied, you may file a FOIA lawsuit in the U.S. District Court where you live, in the district where the documents are located, or in the District of Columbia.
   

We are allowed to recover part of the costs associated with the processing of FOIA requests.  Unless you state a specific fee limit in your request, we will assume that you are willing to pay all the fees incurred in the processing of your request and we may contact you concerning the fees.

If your estimated fees exceed $250.00, you may be given the opportunity to narrow your request to reduce the fees or to confirm your commitment to pay the estimated amount.

You may wish to specify, in your request, the amount of fees you are willing to pay. We will then notify you if the anticipated fees will exceed this limit, and ask whether you wish us to proceed with the processing of your request.

The need to clarify fee issues or the absence of your willingness to pay processing costs could result in the delay or cancellation of your request.  We ask each requester, therefore, to provide a statement of willing to pay all FOIA processing costs, as the amount of search and review time involved in processing your request may not be readily apparent.

For purposes of fee assessments, the FOIA divides requesters into three categories: commercial use requesters; representatives of the media, and educational or noncommercial scientific institutions whose purpose is scholarly or scientific research; and, all other requesters.

For more information on fees/fee waivers see the Department's implementing regulations at 45 CFR part 5, Subpart D (http://www.hhs.gov/foia/45cfr5.html#Subd).

The leader of the Medicaid and CHIP programs is a Deputy Administrator and Director. The list of the leadership and program functional statement are available at: http://www.cms.gov/CMSLeadership/07_Office_CMCSC.asp

The President and Congress provide oversight of HHS.