About the Office on Women's Health

The Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was established in 1991 to improve women's health. Simply put, OWH works to improve the health and well being of all U.S. women and girls. To achieve that long-term goal, OWH focuses on the health differences (disparities) between men and women, between boys and girls, and among populations of women.

Differences in health can be a function of sex (whether you are male or female), gender, race/ethnicity, age, income, education, disabilities, immigrant status, health insurance, culture, and geographic location, among many other factors. In 2002, the population of this country was 281.4 million. Of that number, almost 51 percent, or 143.4 million, are females. More than 29 percent of these females, or 42.1 million, belong to racial and ethnic minority groups. They encompass five major groups: African American/Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.

Although women in minority populations experience many of the same health problems as White women, as a group, they are in poorer health, they use fewer health services, and they continue to suffer disproportionately from premature death, disease, and disabilities. Many also face tremendous social, economic, cultural, and other barriers to achieving optimal health. Women and girls in underserved populations are the focus of OWH activities.

Currently functioning as a program office within the Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS), the Office on Women's Health serves as the focal point for women's health activities in the Department. Its mission is to provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex- and gender-specific approaches. The Director of the Office is a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health [DASH (WH)] who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Health. The Office also advises HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt on the scientific, medical, ethical and policy issues related to the advancement of women's health in the United States and internationally.

The OWH has three divisions reporting to the DASH (WH): Division of Policy and Program Development; Division of Communications; and Division of Program Management. The Office also supports a Regional Women's Health Coordinator in each of the 10 HHS regional offices.

The Office on Women's Health (OWH) promotes women's health through its four basic functions.

1. Coordinating and Promoting Collaborations among DHHS Agencies and Offices: OWH serves as the coordinating office for women's health initiatives across the agencies of HHS, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other agencies and offices.

2. Providing Information on Research, Prevention and Services to Assist Decision-Makers: OWH convenes and consults with federal departments, the scientific community, professional organizations, and consumer groups to support and advance women's health.

3. Identifying, Developing and Supporting Model Programs and Innovations in Women's Health: OWH promotes the development and implementation of model initiatives in academic centers and communities all over the United States to address the health needs of women across different ages, cultures, races, and ethnic groups, including delivery of care to women and education of health care practitioners about women's health.

4. Educating Health and Wellness Professionals and Consumers: OWH promotes comprehensive health services for women across their lifespan. OWH also supports the development and use of culturally appropriate practices in medical education and research, so all individuals and communities benefit. Through its efforts, OWH brings reliable information on hundreds of health topics to women in every region of America. It also helps consumers, associations, and organizations voice their ideas about the federal government's policies on women's health.

Regional Women's Health Coordinators: Ten Regional Women's Health Coordinators (RWHCs) in the United States coordinate and implement national public health initiatives to promote a greater focus on women's health issues at the regional, state and local levels. They advance the mission of the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and represent the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Women's Health) by administering programs that improve the health of women in communities across the country, and by coordinating activities and programs in health care service delivery, research, and public and health professional education. Sensitivity to local, state, and regional needs in women's health is reflected in their work to identify priority health areas, to establish networking relationships, and to implement initiatives addressing regional women's health concerns.

Many of these programs and activities extend beyond one function of OWH, into two, three, or possibly all four of the priorities of the office. For reasons of convenience, they are listed only one time throughout this document. For example, programs addressing cardiovascular disease in women may target underserved women in minority populations, older women, women living in rural or urban areas, or other vulnerable women. Furthermore, the same programs may be examples of collaborative programs or model demonstration programs, education programs, or community-based programs implemented by regional staff, or some combination.

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Current as of October 2006