| Noun | 1. | Department of Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States FDA, Food and Drug Administration - a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention - a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services; located in Atlanta; investigates and diagnoses and tries to control or prevent diseases (especially new and unusual diseases) PHS, United States Public Health Service - an agency that serves as the office of Surgeon General; includes agencies whose mission is to improve the public health National Institutes of Health, NIH - an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services whose mission is to employ science in the pursuit of knowledge to improve human health; is the principal biomedical research agency of the federal government |