U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The Department's programs are administered by 11 operating divisions, including eight agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and three human services agencies. The department includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities. In addition to the services they deliver, the department programs provide for equitable treatment of beneficiaries nationwide, and they enable the collection of national health and other data. HHS was founded in 1953, and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.