Dept. of Health and Human Services

Established:	1953
Activated:	May 4, 1980
Secretary:	Michael O. Leavitt
Deputy Secretary:	Alex Azar
Budget:	Discretionary: $67.2 billion (2006) Mandatory: $573.5 billion (2006)
Employees:	67,000 (2004)

The United States Department of Health and Human Services, often abbreviated HHS, is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.

The department was created when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act (PL 96-88) into law on October 17, 1979. It split the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, (HEW), which included the G.I. Bill and Veterans' Administration into the Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Education. Both began operation on May 4, 1980.

It is administered by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, currently Michael O. Leavitt, who is appointed by the President of the United States. The United States Public Health Service, led by the Surgeon General, is the uniformed service of this agency.

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Food and Drug Administration--Press Releases

FDA Warns Companies against Marketing Illegal Flavored Cigarettes
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:36:00 -0500
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the flavored cigarette ban provision of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) by issuing several warning letters to companies continuing to sell illegal flavored cigarettes to consumers in the United States through their Web sites.
FDA Health Alert for Certain Pet Treats Made by Pet Carousel
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:56:00 -0500
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing this health alert to warn consumers not to use Pig Ears and Beef Hooves pet treats manufactured by Pet Carousel because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The products were distributed nationwide in both bulk and retail packaging for sale in pet food and retail chain stores. Pet Carousel is based in Sanger, Calif.
FDA and FSIS Collaborate To Improve Tracing of Unsafe Food Products
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:26:00 -0500
A joint public meeting focused on improving the system for tracing of food products and ingredients that are causing illness outbreaks or presenting other risks to the health of consumers was announced today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
FDA Warns Consumers on Sexual Enhancement Products
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:54:00 -0500
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that Stiff Nights, a product marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement, contains an ingredient that can dangerously lower blood pressure and is illegal.
FDA Unveils Safe Use Initiative that Targets Preventable Harm from Medication Use
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:42:00 -0500
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the Safe Use Initiative, a program aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use.
U.S. Attorney News Release: Doctor Sentenced for Writing Prescriptions Over the Internet for People Whom He Had Never Met or Examined
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
A Virginia doctor was sentenced in federal court on charges that he wrote prescriptions over the Internet for people whom he had never met or examined, as well as tax evasion.

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