Looking Ahead To FY 2008—Department Management Challenges And High-Risk Areas

The breadth of essential human services the Department delivers to fulfill the President’s vision of a healthier, safer, and more hopeful America create a number of management challenges. To ensure good stewardship of the taxpayer’s resources, the Department is committed to efforts to make improvements related to these challenges.  

In recent years, HHS has made significant strides in improving the lives of Americans.  This has been accomplished through the efforts of every HHS component.  Breakthroughs in health information technology have accelerated the development and adoption of this promising resource.  Medicare beneficiaries have greater access to their medications because of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.  Medicaid modernization efforts have made the program more flexible and sustainable so that benefits can be tailored to needs.  HHS deployed medical supplies and Federal Medical Shelters from the Strategic National Stockpile to help with mass casualty care needed after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  The newly created Drug Safety Oversight Board has provided independent recommendations related to drug safety to the Food and Drug Administration and shared information with health care professionals and patients.  The HHS Compassion Capital Fund has strengthened the capacity of grassroots, faith-based, and community organizations to provide a wide range of social services.  Advances in the understanding of basic human biology enabled sequencing of the human genome to be accomplished 2 years ahead of schedule.

While HHS has made great progress, it must continue its current efforts to sustain positive outcomes and augment them with new, innovative strategies to continue to improve the Nation’s health and well-being.  HHS efforts and progress in addressing these challenges are discussed in more detail in the Top Management Challenges portion of the Other Accompanying Information, Section III.  Further  information concerning the Department’s efforts and actions to resolve OIG audit findings can be found in the FY 2007 Management’s Report on Final Action contained in Section III.

Date of Report: November 15, 2007

AFR Section I Links:

• Mission and Organizational Structure
• Strategic Goals
• Strategic Goal Highlights
• President’s Management Agenda
• Analysis of Financial Statements & Stewardship Information
• Systems, Legal Compliance, And Controls
• Other Management Information and Initiatives
• Looking Ahead To 2008—Department Management Challenges And High-Risk Areas