**MAR**
               SEP
				**FEB**23**2005**
               2006
				**2007****13 captures**
           2 Jan 03 - 17 Apr 08
   Close
       Help


|WOMEN’S HEALTH ISSUES: AN OVERVIEW

**[Previous section]**

DHHS AGENCIES/ OFFICES

The major agencies and offices within the DHHS that stimulate initiatives on
women’s health issues are described below:

The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) coordinates and stimulates efforts to
advance women’s health in the United States and internationally. This Office
coordinates women’s health research, service delivery, and education programs across
the agencies, offices, and regions of the DHHS and with other Federal agencies and public
and private organizations. The Office has established the following goals, which provide a
framework for the Department’s efforts in women’s health:To help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in women’s health.
  To support health promotion/disease prevention programs for women.
  To promote access to health care services for women of all ages and
    backgrounds.
  To strengthen research on women’s health issues.
  To support public and healthcare professional education on women’s
    health issues.
  To promote the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in the
    health professions and in scientific careers.OWH: 202-690-7650www.womenshealth.gov/owh/
The Administration on Aging (AoA) administers programs and services under the
Older Americans Act which are designed to help older persons, the majority of whom are
women, remain independent in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. The
AoA administers grants to establish State and community programs for older people in the
areas of health promotion services, nutrition, vulnerable elder rights protection, and
research and training. AoA addresses issues including Medicare benefits, mammograms and
breast cancer screening, and elder violence/abuse. AoA also implements programs to educate
mid-life women about making thoughtful financial choices. Through collaboration with other
Federal agencies, AoA contributes to the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer, the White
House Conference on Aging activities, and other special projects.


AoA: 202-619-0724www.aoa.dhhs.gov

The Administration on Children and Families (ACF) promotes family stability
through programs for abused and neglected children, children in low-income families,
children in institutions, children who need foster care or adoption, runaway youth, and
children with drug problems. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE),
co-funded by ACF, provides women access to information and emergency assistance. ACF
provides grant funding for battered women’s shelters and prevention of sexual
assaults against women.


ACF: 202-401-9215www.acf.dhhs.gov

The mission of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is to
generate and disseminate information that improves the delivery of health care. AHRQ seeks
to determine what works best in clinical practice, improve the cost-effective use of
health care resources, help consumers make informed choices, and measure and improve the
quality of care. AHCPR supports and conducts research focusing on the costs and
effectiveness of clinical treatments in many areas of specific interest to women
including, reproductive care, hysterectomy, breast and cervical cancers, heart disease,
pelvic inflammatory disease, urinary incontinence, depression, and long- term care.
Studies of the differences in the cost and access to care experienced by men and women
also are supported, as is the development of decision tools and information for consumers.


AHRQ: 301-594-1364www.ahcpr.gov

As the nation’s prevention agency, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) actively protects America’s health and safety, enhances health
decisions through credible information, and promotes health through strong partnerships.
CDC strives to achieve its vision, Healthy People in a Healthy World— Through
Prevention,by promoting health and quality of life and preventing disease, injury,
and disability. As a cornerstone of the nations public health system, Centers for Disease
Control and Preventions collaborate with partners throughout the nation and the world to:Monitor health status and trends
  Detect and investigate health problems
  Conduct research to enhance prevention
  Develop and advocate sound public health policies.
  Implement prevention strategies
  Promote health behaviors
  Foster safe and healthy environments
  Provide leadership and trainingSix centers, one institute, and four program offices make up the CDC and reflect the
scope of public health issues and activities in which the agency is engaged. The
CDC’s Office of Women Health (OWH) was established in 1994. OWH works
with programs throughout CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to
better understand factors that influence a woman’s health and promote healthful
behaviors and practices across all the stages of a woman’s life.

CDC: 1-800-311-3435www.cdc.gov

The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health (OWH) was
created by the (FDA) in 1994. Its establishment began a new chapter in the agency’s
commitment to women’s health issues. The FDA has jurisdiction over the drugs, medical
devices, vaccines, blood and tissue products, foods and cosmetics on which every American
woman and her family depend — about 25% of every consumer dollar. Thus, OWH has an
almost unlimited number of women’s health issues in which to engage.

OWH funds research and education/outreach programs on pressing women’s health
issues. It utilizes a competitive peer review process for selection of the highest quality
projects, with an emphasis on projects with the greatest potential for significantly
contributing to knowledge of women’s health in a brief time frame. Through this
mechanism OWH has funded approximately 60 projects.

The Office has initiated a major public education program, "Women’s Health:
Take Time To Care," to bring important health promotion messages to women, with an
emphasis on the underserved.

One of the core missions of OWH is to encourage industry to include women in their
studies and to encourage the participation of women in clinical trials of FDA-regulated
products. The office advances this agenda, and that of encouraging the analysis of
clinical trial data for gender differences.

OWH has provided scientific and policy input on many of today’s leading
women’s health issues. These include questions involving the safe and effective use
of silicone breast implants, thalidomide, estrogen products, contraceptive products,
ingredients in cosmetics, bone measurement devices, home devices to fight premature labor,
mammography, folic acid prior to pregnancy, and much more.


FDA: 1-800-532-4440www.fda.gov/womens/

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) spent an estimated $351 billion
in FY 1996 to finance health care services for elderly, disabled, and low income Americans
in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicare provides health insurance coverage for
people aged 65 and older, younger people who are receiving Social Security disability
benefits, and persons who need dialysis or kidney transplants for treatment of end-stage
kidney disease. Medicare now helps cover the cost of mammogram screening and runs the
Medicare Mammography Campaign to urge older women to obtain mammography examinations.

The Medicaid program, which provides health care coverage for the low income, is
administered by the States commonwealths, and territories with matching funds from the
Federal Government. Medicaid beneficiaries include beneficiaries of Temporary Aid to Needy
Families (TANF), a Federal-State cash assistance program, and pregnant women and children
up to age 6 whose family income does not exceed 133 percent of the Federal poverty line.
In fiscal year 1996, Medicaid served approximately 11 million women of childbearing age.


HCFA: 410-786-3000www.hcfa.gov

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides national
leadership to increase access to primary and preventive health care for those who are
medically underserved. In fulfilling this role, HRSA maintains efforts to ensure that its
policies and programs reflect the health needs of women and girls, especially minorities
and those who are most vulnerable. HRSA’s education and training activities,
community-based health services, and research incorporate the unique needs of women and
girls with a view that health is a life-span issue, and that race, ethnicity, culture and
socioeconomic factors along with other life experiences must be considered throughout
policy and program development. HRSA supports a wide array of health education and
training projects, a number of which help strengthen provider knowledge and skill in
delivering high quality, culturally competent health services to women. It increases
access to prenatal care, immunizations, physical exams, and other preventive health care
though it Health Centers Program, which includes Community and Migrant Health Centers,
Health Care for the Homeless, and Health Care for Residents of Public Housing.
Community-based health services for women and girls are also provided by states with
assistance of Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grants. Girl Neighborhood Power!
Promotes messages about disease prevention and health promotion, and helps girls ages nine
to 14 improve their family and community relationships. Primary health and dental care,
treatment, and related support services are provided to women living with HIV/AIDS through
programs under the Ryan White CARE Act, while over half of HRSA-supported nurse-managed
clinics are focusing on domestic violence prevention and interventions.


HRSA: 301-443-2086www.hrsa.dhhs.gov

The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides a comprehensive health services
delivery system for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Indian Women's Health
Initiative focuses Agency efforts to heighten the awareness of the health status of
women in these populations. The goal of the Indian Women's Health Steering Committee is to
establish a national Indian women's health network to promote advocacy, education, policy
development, increased access to health promotion and disease prevention activities, and
healthy lifestyle behavioral changes. IHS is initiating a program on older women's health.
Other projects to help women have included the Women’s Health Chart Series, which
provides statistical information about morbidity and mortality rates for Native American
women.


IHS: 301-443-3593 www.ihs.gov

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides leadership and support for
biomedical and behavioral research on women’s health. Each Institute within the NIH
focuses its programs and research on areas within its mandate that are of particular
importance to women’s health. NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health
(ORWH) works to foster research on issues affecting women’s health, to ensure
that research conducted and supported by NIH addresses women’s health issues, to
ensure that women and minorities are presented in NIH-supported biomedical and behavioral
studies, and to develop opportunities for recruitment and advancement of women in
biomedical careers. By working with the institutes to support ongoing research grants and
develop new initiatives, the ORWH encourages investigators to address gaps in knowledge
about women’ health and to implement the NIH Agenda for Research on Women’s
Health for the 21st Century.


NIH: 301-496-4461www.nih.gov


Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) stimulates and
coordinates efforts in both the public and private sectors to reduce Americans’ risk
of disease and early death and to promote good health. Among its activities are tracking
the progress of objectives of the Healthy People 2010 health education initiative
and disseminating information about the status of objectives and initiatives. ODPHP also
coordinates nutrition policy, environmental health policy, primary and preventive health
care initiatives, and school and worksite health promotion.


ODPHP: 202-690-6867odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov


Office of HIV/AIDS Policy
The Office of HIV/AIDS policy advises the Assistant Secretary for Health and senior
Department officials on appropriate and timely development of HIV/AIDS policy,
establishment of priorities, and implementation of HIV/AIDS programs, activities, and
initiatives across the Department's agencies. Among its principal activities is monitoring
of the implementation of the PHS Recommendations for HIV Counseling and Voluntary Testing
of Pregnant Women and Infants throughout PHS programs.


DHHS (Public Affairs): 202-690-6343

The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) administers the Family Planning Program,
which provides grants to fund comprehensive family planning and reproductive health
services (contraceptive services and supplies, basic gynecologic care, cancer and general
medical screening, infertility services, education, counseling, and referral) to nearly 5
million persons each year. Eighty-five percent of the women served in this program are
members of low-income families of which 30 percent are adolescents and 60 percent are
younger than age 25. OPA also administers the Adolescent Family Life Program, which
supports research grants and demonstration projects that develop innovative programs to
provide health, education, and social services to pregnant and parenting adolescents,
their infants, and families, and to design and test programs for pre-adolescents,
adolescents, and their families to delay the onset of adolescent sexual activity and thus
reduce the incidence of pregnancy and STD infection.


OPA: 301-594-4001www.hhs.gov/progorg/opa

The Office of Minority Health’s (OMH) mission is to improve the health of
racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and
programs to address the health disparities and gaps affecting them. Consistent with this
mission, the OMH serves as the HHS focal point for leadership, policy development and
coordination, service demonstrations, information exchange, coalition building and
partnerships, related to addressing the health needs of racial and ethnic minorities. The
OMH, in cooperation with other Public Health Service components, works to develop a
coordinated strategy for reducing mortality and morbidity in minority populations,
including minority women.

Selected activities include operating the OHM Resource Center which includes
information on minority women’s health, producing materials such as the Breast Cancer
Resource Guide for Minority Women, consulting with health professional, voluntary, public
and private organizations on their minority women’s initiatives, and participating on
committees and work groups, e.g., PHS Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health,
Federal Coordinating Committee on breast Cancer, DHHS Task Force on Follow Up to the
Fourth World Conference on Women, Work Group on Female Genital Mutilation.


OMH: 301-443-5224www.omhrc.gov

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
identifies the need for women’s substance abuse and mental health services,
recommends policy, and promotes collaboration among the three SAMHSA centers that focus
respectively on mental health services, substance abuse prevention, and substance abuse
treatment. In particular, SAMHSA’s Office for Women’s Services works to
ensure that the needs of women are addressed. This office has identified six priority
issue areas for women’s mental health: physical/sexual abuse, women as
mothers/caretakers, HIV/AIDS, aging women, women in the criminal justice system, and
multiple mental health and substance abuse problems. SAMSHA has also established
programming for young women. The Secretarial Initiative on Youth Substance Abuse
Prevention is a number of mass media campaign and other education efforts designed to
discourage the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.


SAMHSA
Public Affairs: 301-443-8956www.samhsa.gov**[Endnotes]**

May 2000
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|Home | Search | FAQ's
| Body Image | Healthy PregnancyHealth News & Legislation | Dictionaries & Journals | OWH | en EspañolGuest Editor Program | What's New?
| About NWHIC | Privacy
Policy | FOIAContact
NWHICor call 1-800-994-WOMANNWHIC is a service of theOffice on Women's Health in theDepartment of Health and Human Services
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------