United States Department of Health and Human Services

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to set guidelines for the private healthcare system and provide essential human services in areas such as funding medical studies. Before the separate federal Department of Education was created in 1979, it was called the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). HHS is administered by the secretary of health and human services, who is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the uniformed service of the U.S. Public Health Service, is led by the surgeon general who is responsible for addressing matters concerning public health as authorized by the secretary or by the assistant secretary for health in addition to their primary mission of administering the Commissioned Corps.