Skip to main content
Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Health and Human Services

18 3.5
A United States government department that runs health and welfare programs like Medicare and Medicaid
  • proper noun
  • Formal
translation icon : Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos
  • The health impact of cigarette smoking is well documented (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2004).
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • US Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Examples

  • I have been identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Blog text (4)
  • The ATSDR, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Probably better off having the US Department of Health and Human Services do this work.

    Blog text (10)
  • The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet responded to the legal challenge.

    Academic text (1991)
  • NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Blog text (3)
  • Congress has ignored efficiency recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services that would save $9 billion annually.

    Blog text (13)
  • States faced a Friday deadline for notifying the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Blog text (3)
  • Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008) has issued Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Consequently, the IHS was transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services in 1978.

    Blog text (12)
  • The report was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to address health concerns nationwide.

Synonyms

Health and Human Services
vsDepartment of Health and Human Services
  • Formal
50 3.7

A United States government department that runs national health and welfare programs

supervises those programs nationally rather than running them directly
HHS
vsDepartment of Health and Human Services
  • Formal
39 4.1

A United States government department that runs public health and welfare programs

is the full formal title used instead of the shortened form

Surface Forms

Morphology

department + of + health + and + human + services

The phrase is a straightforward compositional name: 'department' (organizational unit) + 'of' + 'health' + 'and' + 'human services' describes an agency dealing with health and welfare services. This is a standard, cross-linguistically transparent noun phrase for an institutional body, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer its meaning.

Etymology

Department of Health and Human Services literally names its job: a government Department that looks after people's Health and provides Human Services like hospitals, medical care, and welfare. So, the name means the U.S. government agency that runs national health and social programs.