U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Recent News About U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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15.9 Million awarded during National Diaper Needs Awareness Week
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced new funding for the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot. This announcement coincides with National Diaper Need Awareness Week.
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HHS announces funding for AI-driven antibiotic development initiative
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), has announced funding for the Transforming Antibiotic R&D with Generative AI to stop Emerging Threats (TARGET) project. This initiative aims to use artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery and development of new classes of antibiotics, addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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HHS settles cybersecurity investigation with Cascade Eye & Skin Centers for $250K
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced a settlement with Cascade Eye and Skin Centers, P.C., a privately-owned health care provider in Washington, over potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule. This follows an investigation into a ransomware attack on the provider.
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Biden-Harris administration announces over $1.5 billion in opioid response grants
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced over $1.5 billion in State and Tribal Opioid Response grants for fiscal year 2024. The funds, distributed through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), are part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda and aim to support evidence-based treatments, recovery supports, and overdose prevention strategies.
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Georouting introduced for wireless calls to improve response time
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has begun routing cell phone calls based on the caller's approximate location rather than area code. This process, known as georouting, was initiated last week with two major U.S. wireless carriers that together account for about half of all wireless calls to 988. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Vibrant Emotional Health have collaborated with major U.S. cell phone carriers for over a year to improve call routing.
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Biden-Harris administration announces $75M investment in rural healthcare
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced nearly $75 million in funding to support health care services in rural America. This investment aims to launch new opioid treatment and recovery services, strengthen maternal health care in the South, and help rural hospitals remain operational.
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HHS announces major donation of mpox vaccines globally
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), has announced measures to boost the supply of mpox vaccines. This move aligns with the U.S. Government's commitment to making over a million combined doses available globally. The initiative marks the largest international donation of JYNNEOS, a vaccine recently approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
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USICH releases first-ever federal homeless prevention framework
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has officially adopted and released "Ending Homelessness Before It Starts: A Federal Homelessness Prevention Framework." Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) alongside other federal agencies within USICH, this framework marks a first at the federal level.
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Biden-Harris administration allocates $9 million for women's healthcare grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has announced a new grant program aimed at improving women's health coverage and access to critical health benefits. Nearly $9 million will be allocated to support women in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
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Biden-Harris Administration announces $240M investment in community mental healthcare
On September 19, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a $240 million investment to integrate mental health and substance use disorder treatment into primary care services at over 400 community health centers nationwide. These centers serve more than 10 million patients, including those who are uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in Medicaid.
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IHS allocates nearly $1.2 million during World Alzheimer’s Month
The Indian Health Service (IHS) has announced the allocation of an additional $1.19 million through six cooperative agreements aimed at enhancing tribal and urban Indian health system capacities to provide dementia care and services. The total commitment for these new three-year awards amounts to nearly $3.6 million. This funding builds on previous initiatives from 2022 and 2023, with a focus on creating sustainable and replicable models of dementia care.
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HRSA announces multi-vendor contracts to modernize US organ transplant system
As part of the Administration’s efforts, for the first time in the program’s nearly 40-year history, HRSA has awarded separate contracts to reform the organ procurement and transplant network. Multiple vendors will support improving quality and patient safety, modernizing IT, bolstering communications with patients, and more.
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Biden-Harris administration allocates nearly $100M for expanding healthcare workforce
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced nearly $100 million in awards aimed at growing, supporting, and strengthening the health workforce. This funding seeks to improve access to quality care in high-need areas across the United States. The announcement coincided with an HHS Health Workforce Roundtable held as part of HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s Health Workforce Initiative.
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HHS announces $2 million LEAP awards focusing on AI data quality, behavioral health IT
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP), announced two awards totaling $2 million under the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects in Health Information Technology (LEAP in Health IT) funding opportunity. The LEAP in Health IT awardees aim to create methods and tools to improve care delivery, advance research capabilities, and address emerging challenges related to interoperable health IT.
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HHS reports progress on national strategy supporting family caregivers
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Administration for Community Living (ACL), has submitted a progress report to Congress on the federal implementation of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. The strategy outlines a vision, establishes goals, and provides recommendations to ensure family caregivers receive necessary support and resources. It includes commitments from 15 federal agencies to nearly 350 actions, most of which are either completed or in progress, with almost 40 new actions added since the strategy's release.
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Secretary Becerra's statement marks start of National Hispanic Heritage Month
Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued a statement to mark the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which starts on Sunday, September 15.
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HHS declares public health emergency due to Hurricane Francine
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) for Louisiana to address the health impacts of Hurricane Francine. This declaration follows President Biden’s emergency declaration for Louisiana and grants the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), healthcare providers, and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting the emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
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HHS finalizes updated rule on PHS-funded research misconduct
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of Research Integrity (ORI), has finalized the 2024 Public Health Service (PHS) Policies on Research Misconduct. This new rule updates the 2005 regulation, aiming to enhance transparency, efficiency, and objectivity in research misconduct proceedings for PHS-funded research.
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Proposed HHS rule aims to expand organ transplants for people with HIV
The Biden-Harris Administration has issued a proposed rule to expand access to life-saving organs for people with HIV. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at amending regulations under the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984.
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HHS Secretary calls on food industry to increase folic acid-fortified corn masa flour
As Folic Acid Awareness Week is observed, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has urged food manufacturers and retailers to increase the availability of fortified corn masa flour products. In a letter, Becerra highlighted the health benefits of folic acid for women of reproductive age, noting its importance in fetal development during early pregnancy. He emphasized that pregnant women with insufficient folate levels are at higher risk of giving birth to infants with neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.