Strategic Goals

We strive for continuous improvement in the health and well-being of Americans, and other people throughout the world. This is achieved through leadership in medical sciences, and public health and human services programs.

We accomplish our mission through more than 300 programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities. With an FY 2007 budget of $698 billion, we represent almost a quarter of all Federal expenditures and administer more grant dollars than all other Federal agencies combined. Our four strategic goals are related to the components with primary responsibility for these efforts in the table on the next page.

The four strategic goals, designed to accomplish this mission, are articulated in the recently released FY 2007-2012 Strategic Plan.

Goal 1. Health Care. Improve the safety, quality, affordability, and accessibility of health care, including behavioral health care and long-term care.

Goal 2. Public Health Promotion and Protection, Disease Prevention, and Emergency Preparedness. Prevent and control disease, injury, illness, and disability across the lifespan, and protect the public from infectious, occupational, environmental, and terrorist threats.

Goal 3. Human Services. Promote the economic and social well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

Goal 4. Scientific Research and Development. Advance scientific and biomedical research and development related to health and human services.

The FY 2007 President's Budget focused upon eight strategic goals reflected in the Strategic Plan submitted to Congress in 2004. To continue helping Americans live longer, healthier, and better lives, the Department submitted to Congress an updated Strategic Plan for FY 2007 - 2012 that highlights four strategic goals, located at http://www.hhs.gov/strategic_plan. A crosswalk between the prior and current strategic plans is included below.

HHS Prior Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2004 - 2009	HHS Current Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2007 - 2012
Goal 1 (Prior): Reduce the major threats to the health and well-being of Americans	Goal 1: Health Care Goal 2: Public Health Promotion and Protection, Disease Prevention, and Emergency Preparedness
Goal 2 (Prior): Enhance the ability of the Nation's health care system to effectively respond to bioterrorism and other public health challenges	Goal 2: Public Health Promotion and Protection, Disease Prevention, and Emergency Preparedness
Goal 3 (Prior): Increase the percentage of the Nation's children and adults who have access to health care services, and expand consumer choices	Goal 1: Health Care
Goal 4 (Prior): Enhance the capacity and productivity of the Nation's health science research enterprise	Goal 4: Scientific Research and Development
Goal 5 (Prior): Improve the quality of health care services	Goal 1: Health Care
Goal 6 (Prior): Improve the economic and social well-being of individuals, families, and communities, especially those most in need	Goal 3: Human Services
Goal 7 (Prior): Improve stability of healthy development of our Nation's children and youth	Goal 3: Human Services
Goal 8 (Prior): Achieve excellence in management practices	Responsible stewardship and effective management is expected across all four strategic goals.

To reach its goals, the Department places the utmost importance on fostering a culture of leadership and accountability through responsible stewardship and effective management. The chart below shows the Department's components, their missions, and the Department-wide strategic goal(s) to which they are major contributors.

Department Component Related to Strategic Goals

Component	Component Mission	Health Care	Public Health	Human Services	Scientific Research & Development
ACF	To promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.			X
AHRQ	To support, conduct, and disseminate research that improves access to care and the outcomes, quality, cost, and utilization of health care services.	X	X		X
AOA	To promote the dignity and independence of older people, and to help society prepare for an aging population.			X
ATSDR	To serve the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances.	X	X		X
CDC	To promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.	X	X		X
CMS	To ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and to promote quality care for beneficiaries.	X		X
FDA	To rigorously assure the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices, and assure the safety and security of the Nationâ€™s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.	X	X
HRSA	To provide the national leadership, program resources, and services needed to improve access to culturally competent, quality health care.	X	X
IHS	To raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.	X	X		X
NIH	To employ science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.	X	X	X	X
SAMHSA	To build resilience and facilitate recovery for people with or at risk for substance abuse and mental illness.	X	X	X

As a management tool to guide progress toward the vision to improve the health and quality of life for all Americans, Secretary Leavitt initially established a 500-Day Plan, with a 250-Day Update published during FY 2007. The 250-Day Update continues to reflect the values in the original 500-Day Plan - a health care system based on access and affordability, wellness, prevention and personal responsibility, and advancement of innovation and technology. For more information on the 500-Day Plan and the 250-Day Update, visit www.hhs.gov/500DayPlan/250update.html.

Date of Report: November 15, 2007

AFR Section I Links:

HHS Priorities

The Department administers more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities. The Department priorities for America’s health care future include:

Every American’s Access to Insurance
Insurance for the Neediest Children
Value-Driven Health Care
Information Technology
Personalized Health Care
Health Diplomacy
Prevention
Louisiana Health Care System
Preparedness