Department of Health and Human Services(HHS)
The federal department responsible for public health, healthcare programs, and biomedical research, including NIH, CDC, FDA, and CMS.
Overview
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the federal department responsible for protecting public health and providing essential human services. HHS encompasses major agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). HHS is one of the largest federal departments by total budget.
Why It Matters in GovCon
HHS and its operating divisions are major procurers of IT systems, biomedical research, public health services, and healthcare technology. NIH alone awards billions in contracts and grants for research. The CIO-SP3 GWAC (administered by NIH's NITAAC) is one of the most widely used IT contract vehicles in government. Contractors in health IT, life sciences, and data analytics find significant opportunities across HHS.
Key Details
- NIH: The world's largest funder of biomedical research, awarding contracts and grants across 27 institutes and centers.
- NITAAC: NIH's IT acquisition center administers GWACs including CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP4.
- CDC: Procures public health surveillance systems, laboratory services, and emergency preparedness capabilities.
- FDA: Contracts for regulatory science, IT modernization, and medical product review support.
- CMS: Manages Medicare and Medicaid IT systems, including Healthcare.gov infrastructure.
Related Terms
- CIO-SP3
- NITAAC
- Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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