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Department of Health and Human Services

American  

noun

  1. the department of the U.S. government that administers federal programs dealing with public health, welfare, and income security: created in 1979 from the reorganized Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. HHS


Department of Health and Human Services Cultural  
  1. A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the Social Security Administration, the Public Health Service, and other programs designed to promote public welfare. It was originally called the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, until the separate Department of Education was created in 1979.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The BBC has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services for comment.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Department of Health and Human Services didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told Congress in April that improving maternal health outcomes is a priority.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Fauci had returned the phone upon retiring from government in 2022, and the Department of Health and Human Services transferred its contents to Johnson’s office last week upon his request.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

The Department of Health and Human Services launched an investigation and concluded that the study’s consent forms “failed to provide an adequate description” of the different levels of lead abatement in the homes.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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