what is the u s department of health and human services hhs 
the department of health and human services hhs is a cabinet level government department that provides health and human services and promotes research in social services medicine and public health the hhs achieves its goals through 12 agencies that manage more than 100 programs the agencies include the centers for disease control and prevention cdc the food and drug administration fda and the administration for children and families acf 12understanding the u s department of health and human services hhs the department of health and human services was originally founded as a cabinet level department in 1953 as the department of health education and welfare hew in 1979 the department of education organization act created a separate department of education the remaining agencies were reorganized as the department of health and human services on may 4 1980 3the hhs implements parts of the affordable care act enforces the hipaa privacy rule ensures that human subject research conducted by department funded institutions obeys regulations and operates the head start program for children it is also the largest grant making agency in the country 4hhs agencies and officesthe department of health and human services aims to protect the health of all americans and provide essential human services especially for those who are least able to help themselves 2to achieve its mission the hhs has 12 operating divisions which include eight agencies in the u s public health service and three human services agencies all of which offer a variety of health and human services the following is a description of some of them the cdc is the united states primary health protection agency it conducts research and analysis to protect the population from health threats the cdc focuses on science and technology to prevent diseases and manages the nation s biggest health problems that cause death and disability the cdc also promotes healthy and safe behaviors communities and environments 5the acl focuses on the care and health of older adults people with disabilities families and caregivers the acl manages many programs that provide assistance on health and wellness the acl protects rights prevents abuse funds research and strengthens the networks of community based organizations 6the fda protects the public health by ensuring the safety efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs biological products and medical devices and by ensuring the safety of our nation s food supply cosmetics and products that emit radiation the fda also regulates tobacco products to protect the public and reduce the use of tobacco products by minors 7the number of novel drugs that the fda approved in 2020 which is the second highest count in 20 years 8the other operating divisions of the department of health and human services hhs include the following the hhs oversees more than 100 programs that consist of social service civil rights healthcare privacy disaster preparedness and health related research 2the various social service programs help military families senior citizens and people with low income and disabilities the hhs oversees healthcare rights in the health insurance portability and accountability act hipaa hipaa protects patients medical information and workers health insurance when unemployed and sets guidelines surrounding health insurance 9