Introduction
The “US department of health and human services” (HHS) is a government agency that endeavors to provide health services to citizens. Although it is a government agency, it does not offer equal attention in the provision of its services since it majorly targets the poor and the disadvantaged group (Novotny, 2006). The State has decided to allocate extra funds to this organization because of the nature of work it assumes. The agency participates in diverse activities that enhance an individual’s wellbeing. This document, therefore, provides some literature on roles, services selected, as well as the rationale for selecting such a service provided by the HSS agency (Novotny, 2006).
The identity and roles of HHS agency
The agency has earnestly worked towards enhancing its identity by incorporating numerous features. For instance, the HHS agency has branded itself by creating a logo that has helped to serve numerous purposes. First, the agency’s logo helps to communicate the agency’s values to other entities, therefore, making it possible for people to understand its goals. Apart from the communication of values, the logo helps to define and to represent the agency (Novotny, 2006). The key goal of the HHS agency is to promote the entire citizen’s health, especially the underprivileged. In clear terms, the US. government has charged the HHS agency with the mandate of overseeing all programs based on health.
Sources specify that the US. public health service is a component of 42 subdivisions working to enhance an individual’s health. Some of the subdivisions engage in conducting research thus having a clear picture of the main causes of fatal diseases. The “Food and Drugs Administration” (FDA) is also among the subdivisions, which checks whether the food, as well as the drugs ready for consumers, are not contaminated (Hickman, 2003). It is necessary to perform an activity that checks the health status of the consumable products since such products pose detrimental effects to one’s life. Moreover, the department has established a subdivision whose mandate is to control, as well as to prevent the spread of communicable diseases (Hickman, 2003).
The service selected
It deems necessary to illustrate a health care product or service category that the HHS agency provides. In this case, it is necessary to focus on a service category rather than a product category. Apart from the many services provided by the HHS agency, Medicare, as well as the Medicaid programs, provides life-enhancing services. The Medicaid program, usually funded by the state provides medical services to petty income earners (Niles, 2011). This program compensates pharmacies for all costs incurred after prescribing drugs and other devices to both inpatients, as well as outpatients.
The rationale for selecting this area of focus
Conversely, Medicare is a program entitled to both individuals having many years of working experience, as well as the disabled (McKenzie, Pinger & Kotecki, 2008). The program provides insurance coverage to such individuals thus improving their health. It is also significant to note that the US government plays the responsibility of funding the program. The initial rationale for selecting this point of focus is because; many people at varied locations around the world cannot access some health services. Therefore, it is pertinent to illustrate a scenario depicting some state’s reaction to such an issue.
Conclusion
The document has presented an outline of some of the activities performed by the HSS agency. Apparently, the HSS agency performs a myriad of activities related to enhancing an individual’s wellness. The agency incorporates numerous subdivisions such as the FDA, which determines the health status of a product before its consumption. Medicare, as well as the Medicaid programs, has contributed significantly to US. citizen’s health since it makes some health services become available to the underprivileged.
References
Hickman, M. (2003). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Publishers.
McKenzie, J., Pinger, R., & Kotecki, J. (2008). An introduction to community health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Niles, N. (2011). Basics of the US. health care system. Boston, NY: Jones and Bartlett.
Novotny, T. (2006). US Department of Health and Human Services: A need for global health leadership in preparedness and Health diplomacy, American Journal of Public Health, 96(1): 11–13.