The US Department of Health and Human Services - Research Paper Example

US Department of Health and Human Services Outline I. Introduction and basic function of the HHS II. Goals and Purpose of HHS A. Mission Statement B. Activities and Aims of the HHS C. Purpose of HHS III. Historical Development of Public Health in U.S. IV. Structure of the HHS A. Operating Divisions B. Staff Divisions C. Regional Headquarters V. Career options at HHS A. Professional Diversity at HHS B. Programs for the College Students VI. Job Application at HHS A. Privileges for Federal Employees B. Process of Job application VII. Conclusion US Department of Health and Human Services The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is one of the government’s establishments which are focused on providing health care facilities to the American citizens and also the basic human services. The HHS major priority is assisting those people who are financially or economically incapable of supporting themselves. HHS is very closely related to the federal and local government establishments. The funded agencies and programs carried out by the HHS are financially supported by either the local government or the private agencies. The department constitutes of more than 300 programs and these programs are managed by eight U.S. Public Health Service agencies and three of them belong to the Human Services. With the help of these operating agencies and the effectual programs, the HHS focuses on providing high levels of health quality and necessary human services all over the nation (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services n.d.). HHS was established on 11 April, 1953 as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to broaden the horizons of health and human services standards in U.S.A. It also has one of the largest budget records with administration of more grant dollars than any other Federal agency (Okray 2010). The historical development of the department, its major goals and mission statement along with the basic structure of the department are included in the research paper. Furthermore, HHS provides a dynamic career opportunity for the health professionals with a plethora of professional positions. HHS performs and assists various health related activities nationwide for the better good of the Americans. With a mission statement of providing necessary human services and protecting the health of Americans nationwide, the HHS constitutes 40 percent of the United States federal government’s expenditure (Department of Health and Human Services n.d.). These functions include research work in the medical and social science area of study and the necessary preventive measures to control the spread of infectious disease outbreaks. Another important function is to ensure the usage and administration of healthy food and safe drugs nationwide. HHS also focuses on programs for the support of child education, health and support for disabled children. Maternal and child health enforcement and provision of pre-school academic services are also included in the plan of HHS. Child abuse and domestic violence are two significant social problems prevalent in U.S. The HHS also supports programs that work for the eradication of these social crimes and providing support and assistance for the victims. Prevention, treatment and rehabilitation regarding substance abuse and human services for the older population of America are also included in the currently active programs of HHS. These programs cater to a plethora of health related problems and social short-comings prevalent in the country (Sultz & Young 2011). Public health development and progress in the early years of America was highly influenced by the reforms and improvements in England. Till the 19th century the patterns observed followed the league of the British. Yellow fever and cholera outbreaks nationwide were the major triggering factors which lead to the development of new reforms and innovative steps for public health restoration. Sanitary surveys carried out by Lemuel Shattuck were published in 1850 and highlighted the health differences in various areas of the nation and the factors which affect them. He urged the local and state government to take responsibility for providing health services to control the uprising rates of mortality and morbidity. His report is considered as one of the important milestones for the modern public health establishment in U.S. Public Health Service was established in 1798 basically for providing health facilities to sick or disabled seamen, under the name of Marine Hospital Service. It was in 1870 that this was recognized as a national hospital system with its roots in Washington, DC. In 1902, the Marine Hospital Service was changed to Public Health and Marine Hospital Service. In 1912, it was converted to the currently known U.S. Public Health Service. After many reorganizations and changes this founding became a part of one of the agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 1935 the Social Security Act was passed which gave the Public Health Service power to help the different states and health districts in providing them with health and human services. In 1953 HHS was established with 12 operating divisions of the Public Health Service (Sultz & Young 2011). HHS is composed of one Office of the Secretary and a total of eleven Operating Divisions which are directed towards fulfilling the mission statement. The eleven Operating Divisions include National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Indian Health Service (HIS), Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Medicare and Medical Services (CMS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Administration on Aging (AoA). These eleven operating divisions encompass 300 programs that provide health and human services regarding various aspects mentioned earlier. The Office of Secretary has subdivisions called as Staff divisions which have the main function of providing assistance and aid to the Secretary’s proposals. Regional Offices of HHS are located in ten regions of U.S. which include Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Kansas City, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, DC, NYC and Boston. The Department of Health and Human Services has a total budget of $376 billion and has to carry out a complex system of management and administration of various programs all over the U.S. (Sultz & Young 2011; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services n.d.; United States General Accounting Office 2001). HHS provides career options for those who are directed towards the improvement of health conditions of the citizens in US. Currently a total of 748 attorneys are working with HHS and the average salary is recorded as $120,207. Each operating division and program provides different professional career options for experts coming from diverse academic backgrounds. Doctors, Nurses, Biologists, economists, administrative staff, scientists catering to physical and social sciences, epidemiologists, attorneys are some of the career options provided by the HHS. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has four Coordinating officers, Medical officers, biologists and health Insurance Specialists. AoA offers opportunities like Administrative Assistant and Elder Care Information Specialist, ACF offers Head Start Program Specialist and Management Analyst job options and AHRQ has dynamic job opportunities like Health Research Scientist and Research Criteria Specialist. Food and Drug Administration has the responsibility of the human as well as the veterinary drugs, medical devices, food supply, cosmetic products and any kind of product that has the potential of emitting radiations. The Office of Chief Counsel which is the subdivision of FDA is composed of a work staff of litigators and counselors. They have the responsibility of handling civil or criminal law cases, application of legal regulations and polices and implementing the FDA decisions. The HHS also offers full-time employment opportunities for students who have just graduated from either an under-graduate program or a graduate program. Programs like Presidential Management Fellows Program, the HHS Emerging Leaders Program and the Federal Career Intern Program provide remarkable opportunity for college students to gain experience and expand their education (Okray 2010; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services n.d.). The HHS offers several federal government privileges that enhance the career value at HHS. These benefits provide feasibility for the employee and are also family friendly. Health and life insurance, retirement benefits, annual and sick leave options, employee assistance programs, alternative work schedules and telecommuting facilities are some of them. For getting started as an employee at the HHS, first, it is crucial to understand the requirements and eligibility criterion for the job. The HHS job vacancies are announced regularly at the official website for the federal government jobs i.e. USAJOBS. If an individual finds his/her academic and professional expertise at par with the job requirements, they can apply either online or also visit the employer in person. A resume with incomplete information or compromising quality will lead to an immediate rejection of the job application. The applicant has to fulfill some requirements before selection for any federal job. A complete medical check-up including urinalysis to screen for drug abuse is obligatory. Furthermore, all investigations made by the government should be cleared. Any false statement or information may lead to rejection of the job application or can also result in fine or imprisonment. The HHS jobs are also open for disabled applicants and offers accommodative benefits for them as well (US Department of Health and Human Services n.d.). The US Department of Health and Human Services has a dynamic role in maintaining the nation’s health and provision of quality human services to women, children, elderly and the disabled. The department has the largest budget in the federal agencies and supports a vast number of programs for the benefit and well-being of the people in need. HHS is faced with many challenges in terms of administration, application of policies, maintenance of high standards and reliable data collection form the whole country. With a tremendous number of programs spread throughout the country and major operating divisions, HHS holds remarkable job opportunities for people from diverse academic backgrounds. Works Cited Department of Health and Human Services. “Mission Statement.” National Partnership for Reinventing Government. N.d. Web. 30 Mar 2012. Harry A Sultz & Kristina M Young. “Health care USA : understanding its organization and delivery”. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. 2011. Web. 30 Mar 2012. Okray, John. “Inside the world’s largest legal employer: Careers and compensation with U.S. federal agencies”. Fort Worth, TX: Lawyerup Press. 2010. Web. 30 Mar 2012. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “About HHS”. HHS.gov: About us. n.d. Web. 30 Mar 2012. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Where Can I work”. HHS.gov: HHS Careers. N.d. Web. 30 Mar 2012. < http://www.hhs.gov/careers/where/index.html> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Find and Apply for Job”. HHS.gov: HHS Careers. N.d. Web. 30 Mar 2012. < http://www.hhs.gov/careers/jobs/findjob.html> United States. General Accounting Office. “Major management challenges and program risks : Department of Health and Human Services”. Washington, D.C.: The Office. 2001. Web.30 Mar 2012. Read More