About the Office on Women's Health

1. COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION

One of OWH's primary functions is to coordinate women's health programs with the many federal agencies and offices within HHS, including the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. OWH also collaborates with state governments, health care associations, and community-based organizations.

• A. OWH Committees / Working Groups
  • HHS Coordinating Committee on Women's Health
  • DHHS Steering Committee on Violence Against Women
  • Minority Women's Health Panel of Experts
  • Federal Interagency Working Group on Women's Health and the Environment
• B. OWH Collaborative Programs
  • Surgeon General's Women's Mental Health Project
  • The National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC)
  • GirlsHealth Web site
  • Quick Health Data Online
  • National Women's Health Week
  • The Woman Challenge
  • National Women's Check-up Day

A. OWH COMMITTEES / WORKING GROUPS

HHS COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON WOMEN'S HEALTH

• Established by: Assistant Secretary for Health in 1983.
• Chair: HHS OWH
• Purpose: To advise the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Women's Health) on current and planned activities across HHS that would safeguard and improve the physical and mental health of all women in the United States.
• Committee Membership: Senior-level representatives from each of the federal agencies and offices within HHS.

DHHS STEERING COMMITTEE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

• Established by: Office of the Secretary in 1995 in response to the Violence Against Women Act.
• Chair: HHS OWH
• Purpose: To coordinate the response of HHS agencies and offices on issues related to family and intimate partner violence. To coordinate HHS responses to recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women, chartered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and co-chaired by DOJ and HHS.
• Committee Membership: Leaders within HHS who have expertise in issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, child abuse and neglect, elder abuse, substance abuse, mental health, minority health, and women's health.

MINORITY WOMEN'S HEALTH PANEL OF EXPERTS

• Established by: HHS OWH in 1997.
• Purpose: To eliminate disparities in health care. To ensure that the concerns of minority women are addressed throughout OWH programs, policies, and initiatives. To provide input and serve as a resource to HHS, the HHS Secretary, and OWH in support of developing health initiatives for these diverse populations of women and improving their overall health.
• Membership: Health professionals, advocates, and academicians working in communities and in health settings that serve racially and ethnically diverse women: African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latina. Panel members have expertise in a variety of disciplines, including young women's health, women and aging, health care delivery systems, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, violence against women, mental health, substance abuse, breast/cervical cancer, diabetes, heart disease, immigrant/refugee women's health, public health research, cultural competency in women's health, and health policy.
• Background: OWH established the panel after a series of national conferences on the health issues of minority women, including its 1997 conference "Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Partnerships to Improve Minority Women's Health."

FEDERAL INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

• Established by: HHS OWH in 1994.
• Chair: HHS OWH
• Purpose: To coordinate the efforts of federal agencies that address environmental threats to women's health. To foster collaboration among these agencies. To plan and implement activities that address the identified needs.
• Working Group Membership: The group meets quarterly and consists of more than 40 representatives from various federal agencies and offices, including the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Labor and Department of Defense.
• Subcommittees: Meet monthly to develop, plan and implement multi-agency activities that address specific areas of interest. Current subcommittees address dietary supplements; women and tobacco; personal protective equipment (PPE) and ergonomics; mercury; and autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

OWH actively participates in several other committees and working groups: Healthy People 2010 Steering Committee, the HHS Lupus Working Group, the New Freedom Initiative Working Group (which promotes community living for people with disabilities), and the Federal Partners Working Group for Mental Health System Transformation.

B. OWH COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS

SURGEON GENERAL'S WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT

• Established by: HHS OWH in 2002.
• Chair: HHS OWH.
• Purpose: OWH is collaborating with the Office of the Surgeon General, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to prepare materials addressing the mental health of women and girls.
• Progress: Steps completed thus far include concept mapping to develop salient themes; leadership interviews with 25 leaders representing governmental, provider, and consumer organizations in the field of women's mental health; facilitated discussions in San Francisco, CA, Kansas City, MO, and Philadelphia, PA, with 41 representatives in the field of women's mental health; and a literature review focused on sex and gender differences in mental health across the lifespan.
• Workshop: The preparatory work culminated in a Surgeon General's Workshop in November 2005 in Denver, CO. Mental health professionals, researchers, consumers, and advocates were invited to participate in this 1-1/2 day working meeting.
• Workshop Tasks: Participants identified practical tools, research recommendations, and strategies to 1) promote awareness of mental health issues affecting women across the lifespan; 2) address major gender differences among mental illnesses and in approaches to care; 3) provide direction for health professionals and consumers on identifying, preventing, and treating mental illness; and 4) provide an understanding of the role of mental health in women's physical health.
• Project Background: This effort follows the 2001 Mental Health: Culture, Race and Ethnicity-- Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General; a report on the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health: A National Action Agenda in 2000; and the 1999 Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health.

THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH INFORMATION CENTER (NWHIC)

• Developed and Maintained by: HHS OWH since 1998. Updated continuously.
• Project: OWH has strengthened HHS prevention efforts for the public and health care professionals by providing prevention information tailored to women and girls. OWH maintains the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC), an Information Referral Center and two web sites: one on women's health (www.womenshealth.gov) and one on girls' health (www.girlshealth.gov). These services provide reliable, commercial-free health information and referrals to consumers of health care services, health professionals, researchers, educators, and students.
• Content: Offers a single point-of-entry to more than 4,000 publications and 2,000 organizations on more than 800 health topics. The web site contains fact sheets; more than 80 FAQs (frequently asked questions); information on national health education campaigns; a calendar of events; daily news on women's health; and online journals and dictionaries. Enhancements to the Information Referral Center include a breastfeeding helpline to offer new moms support, peer counseling, and resources.
• Specialty Sections: Available by topic area, including healthy pregnancy, violence against women, breastfeeding, smoking cessation, and body image. It also features specialty sections by topic area, including for special populations such as Spanish-speakers, women with disabilities, minority women, young women, the media, and health professionals.
• Printed Resources: NWHIC also offers a variety of printed materials, including the Lifetime to Good Health Guide in English, Spanish and Chinese, and the Breastfeeding Easy Guide series written and designed for general market, African-American, Spanish, Chinese, and Native American audiences.
• Accessible by: A toll-free telephone call to 1-800-994-9662 (TDD: 1-888-220-5446) or through the Internet at http://www.womenshealth.gov. Information Specialists are available to answer questions in English and Spanish from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard Time, excluding federal holidays. They can provide publications and referrals to appropriate organizations.

GirlsHealth WEB SITE

• Developed and Maintained by: HHS OWH since June 2002. (Visit www.girlshealth.gov)
• Project Focus: To promote healthy, positive behaviors in girls between the ages of 10 and 16. The site motivates girls to choose healthy behaviors by providing information on fitness, nutrition, chronic illness and disability, stress management, relationships with friends and family, peer pressure, suicide, drugs, self-esteem, and other topics in an interactive, user-friendly format. The web site contains ten modules that address these topics and more.
• Specialty Sections: A Parents & Caregivers section provides lists of publications, organizations, and web sites that influential adults can use to help address the issues facing adolescent girls. An Educators section provides resources on the topics covered on the site for teachers, school administrators, and community leaders.
• Planned Sections: On negotiation skills, violence against girls, leadership skill development, depression, and obesity.
• Content Availability: All of the content throughout the web site can be printed and reproduced for students and patients. During FY2006, OWH plans to enhance this site and add additional sections on media literacy and youth development.

QUICK HEALTH DATA ONLINE

• Developed by: HHS OWH in Region VIII in 1999, in collaboration with the HHS Office of Minority Health. Expanded by OWH in 2002.
• Content: The database contains extensive health data for the entire United States (including both men and women). National, regional, state, and county data are available by age, race/ethnicity, and gender, and they can be displayed simultaneously. It includes mortality and incidence rates for a variety of chronic and infectious diseases, including heart disease and indicators for mental health, reproductive health, maternal health, violence and abuse, illness prevention, and access to care.
• Audience: This online tool can benefit federal, state, and local health department employees as well as community organizations, health professionals, researchers, members of the press, and consumers: anyone looking for health statistics.
• Free Access: Access is free through the web site of the National Women's Health Information Center at www.womenshealth.gov/quickhealthdata. Users can make their own tables, graphs, and maps out of any data in the database. Age-adjusted data and 3-year averages are included for many of the health indicators.
• Updates: The database is updated annually.

NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK

• Developed by: HHS OWH in May 2000.
• Program: In 2006, OWH celebrated the seventh annual National Women's Health Week, May 14-20, 2006. Coordinated by OWH, this national effort raises awareness about manageable steps all women can take to improve their health. OWH's Regional Women's Health Coordinators, DHHS agencies, state and local governments, community partners, and public and private organizations promoted or planned events and preventive health screenings.
• 2006 Theme: Reconnect to Your Health. The importance of incorporating simple preventive and positive health behaviors into everyday life.
• Participation: In 2006, all 50 states and some territories held 1,110 events. Governors and mayors of 142 states, cities, towns, and territories declared May 14-20, 2006, to be "National Women's Health Week." Locally, thousands of women took advantage of free or reduced health screenings. Much of this success is due to the active involvement from 122 organizations that joined forces with the Office on Women's Health.
• Special Note: President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush separately acknowledged the importance of National Women's Health Week with individual letters. Both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives issued resolutions recognizing National Women's Health Week. Media impressions totaled more than 241 million, which included 47.2+ million print impressions and 37.5+ million radio impressions. Television viewership was estimated at 40,000.
• Program Evaluation: In 2006, OWH received OMB approval to evaluate NWHW. Follow-up surveys have been developed and sent to all individuals and organizations that hosted events and health screenings, issued proclamations, or helped with outreach efforts. Results of this evaluation should be available in Fall 2006.

THE WOMAN CHALLENGE

• Developed by: HHS OWH in 2006 in partnership with the Region V Women's Health Office and Support from all 10 Regional Coordinators.
• Program Focus: A new national walking program for women began during the 2006 National Women's Health Week: Women On the Move Across the Nation (the WOMAN Challenge). It invited women to take part in a free 8-week walking and physical activity program that encourages participants to get 10,000 steps or 30 minutes of physical activity a day. 17,800 women signed up to participate. Results are forthcoming.

NATIONAL WOMEN'S CHECK-UP DAY

• Developed by: HHS OWH in 2003.
• Program Focus: In 2006, OWH celebrated the fourth annual National Women's Check-Up Day on May 15, the day after Mother's Day. This nationwide effort is coordinated by HHS and encourages women to visit health care professionals to receive regular, preventive check-ups and screenings. On this day, hundreds of health care providers around the country offered preventive screenings for free or at reduced rates.
• Special Note: This day complements and supports OWH's efforts to promote preventive services for women and furthers President Bush's long-range initiative to expand local health centers serving people without health insurance.

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Current as of October 2006