Health and Human Services

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) serves as the health services research arm of the DHHS. The agency provides a major source of funding and technical assistance for health services research and research training at leading educational institutions. Health services research examines how people get access to health care, how much care costs, and what happens to patients as a result of this care. The main goals of health services research are to identify 

The ATSDR works to protect adverse human health effects from hazardous substance exposures from waste sites, unplanned toxic releases, and pollution sources present in the environment. Congress intended ATSDR to perform functions that include public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, applied research in support of public-health assessments, information development/dissemination, and education/training concerning hazardous substances. The agency reports administratively to the CDC. 

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), created by the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, provides leadership in the areas of preventing, preparing, and responding to adverse health effects related to public health emergencies and disasters. ASPR focuses on preparedness planning and response, including coordinating 

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Institute of Health PubHcation 80-1938, PubHc Health Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C., May 1980. 

D. V. Sweet, Kegisty of Toxic Tffects of Chemical Substances, 1986 ed., U.S. Dept, of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), under the Department of Health and Human Services, works with OSHA. It is NIOSH s responsibihty to determine safe exposure limits for chemical substances and to recommend to OSHA that these limits be adopted as standards. 

The FDA is headed by the Commissioner of Food and Dmgs. This position is not a Cabiaet-level office but falls within the PubHc Health Service (PHS), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The post of FDA Commissioner is subject to HHS pohtical clearance and Senate confirmation, and the Commissioner is ultimately accountable to HHS, Congress, and the President of the United States. The Commissioner has a staff to assist ia poHcy making and several deputy commissioners to oversee operation of ah. the subordinate units. FDA has six regional offices within the country, each responsible for a section of the country, and 21 district offices. Persons with technical background typicahy work ia one of FDA s chemistry laboratories or as investigators or consumer safety officers. 

FederalB gister48>-.2(s9K1, Part III, Dept. Health and Human Services, June 10,1983. 

BatteUe (MEDTAP) Eiual Report,M Cost Benefit Anafisis of DTP Vaccine to the U.S. Dept. Health and Human Services, Washiugtou, D.C., Mar. 4, 1994. 

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