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Week in Review
Monday, May 22, 2017 10:57:43 AM

Dear Team –
This was an exciting and eventful week at the Department of Health and Human Services.
As you likely know, a team from HHS traveled to Liberia, Germany, and Switzerland this week.
HHS Team’s Visit to Liberia
We were honored to visit Liberia as the first stop in our three-nation trip to highlight the United States’ role in, and
commitment to, global health security. Liberia, with the assistance of talented folks from HHS, has made incredible
strides to contain the Ebola virus and help the affected communities we visited move forward since the outbreak in
2014. Their work to promote global health security and commitment to find and stop disease outbreaks in Liberia and
around the world—whether they are natural, accidental, or deliberate—keeps Americans safe.
We’re grateful to Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf for her leadership and kind hospitality. We are committed to
working with Liberia to address the remaining challenges in Liberia’s recovery from the devastating effects of Ebola,
and are proud of the great work being done there. Below are photos from our time in Liberia and click here to read
more about each location we visited.

Photos (Left to Right) We met with Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marjon Kamara; Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf welcomed us to
Liberia; and we participated in a joint press conference with Liberia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Bernice Dahn.

Photos (Left to Right) We visited the West Point community in Monrovia, a community at the epicenter of Liberia’s 2014 Ebola outbreak; we met
with an Ebola survivor who shared his story of seeking treatment and the certificate he received upon being declared Ebola-free; and at
Redemption Hospital, we toured the facility and received a briefing on NIH’s Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines in Liberia (PREVAIL)
program.

 
Photos (Left to Right)) We were honored to meet with medical staff while touring Eternal Love Winning Africa (ELWA) Hospital—one of the
facilities at the forefront of treating patients with Ebola; at Redemption Hospital, we met with participants in the men’s health screening program;

 and I’ll never forget ending my time in Liberia by laying a wreath on the grave of an unknown Ebola victim—one of several thousand casualties of
Ebola and other infectious diseases who are interred at the Disco Hill burial site.

G20 Health Ministerial Meeting
On Friday and Saturday, we were honored to represent the United States at the first-ever G20 Health Ministerial
Meeting in Berlin, Germany. We joined health officials from around the world to discuss how to harness knowledge,
capabilities, and expertise to reinforce and strengthen our global health security. We also participated in a public
health emergency simulation exercise to aid in improving mutual understanding of countries’ preparedness and
response needs, communication related to emerging and active threats, and capabilities through research,
development, and innovation.
Additionally, we had many productive global health discussions including preparations to combat influenza and
viruses with pandemic potential, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the work of the World Health Organization
(WHO), and the World Health Assembly (WHA). We also held bilateral meetings with Indonesia, China, Saudi
Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

 
Photos (Left to Right) We joined Chancellor Merkel and our global health counterparts for the opening ceremony at the first-ever G20 Health
Ministerial Meeting in Berlin, Germany.

 
As I stated in Friday’s press release, “President Trump and his Administration appreciate that a sustained, focused
commitment to global health security is vital to protecting Americans, strengthening partnerships with other nations,
and supporting political and economic stability around the world…The productive discussions taking place are of
vital importance to the continued collaboration by G20 members to prepare for and respond to potential and actual
public health emergencies around the world.”
Here are a few other recent updates from the Department:
An Update from FDA
On Monday, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb kicked off his first full week at FDA with a town hall meeting with
employees. “Our greatest immediate challenge is the problem of opioid abuse,” he said. “Addressing this tragedy is
going to be one of my highest initial priorities.”
HHS Innovation Day
 
The Office of the Chief Technology Officer held its HHS Innovation Day on Monday in the Humphrey Building’s
Great Hall—an annual day to showcase how innovation and partnerships can improve how we deliver services to the
American people. The event featured presentations from thirteen HHS Ignite Accelerator teams focused on improving
services, products, or processes at HHS. Assistant Secretary for Administration, John Bardis, delivered the keynote,
and industry design expert Mick McManus inspired attendees with ideas on how to solve intractable problems in
government through collaborative innovation.
As you may have heard, one of the six key principles I’ve laid out for healthcare is innovation. As we continue to look
for opportunities to strengthen HHS, please consider getting involved. The HHS Ignite Accelerator program is
accepting applications for its next round. Apply here. The deadline to apply is June 15.

 Photos (Left to Right) John Bardis, the Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Mick
McManus,Chairman and Principal at MAYA Design addressed HHS Staff at HHS Innovation Day.

Reimagine HHS Update
Continuing with that theme, as you may have already heard, last week was the first of two weeks of intense work by
the Reimagine HHS workgroups. Workgroup members from across the department have been brainstorming big ideas
for how we can serve the American people better, and we could not be more thrilled with the results so far. They will
be refining their ideas further this week, which will then be considered alongside other streams of ideas, like the HHS
Suggestion Box, for our draft proposal to OMB on June 30.
New CDC Resources
CDC has published newly developed online resources for parents of babies born with recognizable birth defects
related to congenital Zika infection and for parents of babies infected with Zika before birth but who appear healthy.
The two resources can be found at “For Parents: Roadmap for Parents of Babies with Congenital Zika Syndrome”
and “For Parents: Roadmap for Parents of Babies Infected with Zika Before Birth Who Appear Healthy.” These
roadmaps are designed to help parents navigate the series of screenings and tests recommended during their baby’s
first year of life and help ensure that they receive the care they need.
Secretary’s Ventures Fund
 
On Wednesday, we had the privilege of announcing the latest five entrepreneurial projects that will share $375,000 in
investments by the Secretary’s Ventures Fund (HHS Ventures) to dramatically improve their office, agency or the
Department’s ability to carry out its mission. The projects were proposed by CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis; ONC
and CDC; NIH and FDA; the IHS’s Phoenix Indian Medical Center; and the Program Support Center. Click here to
learn more about the innovative work by our colleagues.
#IAmHHS Initiative Launch
And, in case you missed it, we launched I Am HHS, a video and blog series featuring our fellow colleagues’ stories of
their dedication and experiences working for HHS. The first video, which the HHS studio team produced, featured
Rachel Kaul, senior policy analyst at ASPR. You can click here to watch the video, read her blog, and share her story
on social media using #IAmHHS. Throughout the year, I Am HHS will highlight individuals across the Department.

Thank you again for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to improving the health and well-being of all
Americans. Your efforts are making a lasting impact here and around the globe.

 Thomas E. Price, M.D.
Secretary of Health and Human Services

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Week in Review
Tuesday, May 30, 2017 12:43:17 PM

Dear Team –
This week marks my 15th week serving with you at HHS. I’ve been continually inspired and
impressed with the individuals I’ve met and the great work that is being done across the
Department.
Together, we will continue to make great strides to improve the health and well-being of all
Americans.
Here are a few recent updates from across the Department:
HHS Team’s Visit to Geneva for World Health Assembly
This past week, we had the honor of leading the U.S. delegation at the 70th annual World
Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland. On Monday, I delivered an address to the
Assembly that highlighted public health challenges facing the world and the U.S. role in
helping to solve them. Over the several days, we participated in events related to global health
security and strengthening the WHA and held numerous meetings with public health officials
from around the world. These included delegations from Taiwan, India, Uganda, Canada,
Italy, Sweden, Singapore, the WHO Africa Regional Office, Finland, Norway, the WHO
Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, and Brazil. We also voted in the first ever election of
a new Director-General that was open to all member states. Dr. Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia was elected to lead the WHO.
Prior to leaving Geneva for home, we met with Dr. Tedros. It was an honor to emphasize the
United States’ commitment to the mission of the WHO, to reforming the organization, and to
strengthening global health security.

Secretary Price with newly elected Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of
Ethiopia.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Mission Geneva.
Update from SAMHSA
It is a priority of ours to better address mental illness in our country. This past week, we put
out a call for nominations for a new federal interagency initiative to improve our systems
serving people with serious mental illness across the nation. This collaborative effort, the
Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC), was created
under the 21st Century Cures Act.
We’re asking for nominations for individuals from the private sector to serve on ISMICC,

 which will report on new research around serious mental illness and focus on how serious
mental illness is linked to other issues including suicide, drug overdoses, and homelessness.
The Committee will identify actions that we can take together to improve the way mental
health care is provided and support people as they work to attain recovery from mental
illness. Click here to learn more.
Update from FDA
On Wednesday, FDA approved a cancer drug to treat tumors with a certain genetic defect,
regardless of where the tumor occurs in the body. It was the first time FDA had approved a
drug that was not tied to a site-specific cancer like those of the brain or breast.
Reimagine HHS Update
As we shared last week, Friday was the final day of the two-week brainstorming session by
the Reimagine HHS workgroups. We were inspired by the quality and depth of the ideas
they’ve presented to us, and we are excited to start reviewing them along with ideas from
other streams of feedback to compose a draft report for OMB by June 30th. The ideas you’ve
sent into the Suggestion Box and the ReimagineHHS@hhs.gov inbox have been invaluable as
well—and many of the areas of emphasis in them have been raised by the workgroups. All of
these individual ideas will receive real consideration, and we look forward to continuing to
work on this initiative with all of you.
Thank you again for all you do and will continue to do for the American people.
Thomas E. Price, M.D.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
 
 

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Week in Review
Monday, June 12, 2017 11:58:48 AM

Dear Team –
We had another fantastic week here at the Department of Health and Human Services. Thank
you for your continued diligence and determination to improving the health and well-being of
all Americans.
Earlier in the week, a team from HHS had the honor of visiting the Dispensary of Hope, a
charitable medication distributor based in Nashville, TN.  During the visit, we were able to
hear directly from Tennessee residents about their thoughts and struggles related to healthcare
in our nation.  Like I said on Tuesday, “the real innovators, problem-solvers, and healers are
not just in Washington, D.C.—they’re in Nashville, Tennessee.  I got to see that work firsthand at Dispensary of Hope on Tuesday. Their collaborations are helping to ensure that
medicines are not wasted and that those in need get them. Thank you to the team at
Dispensary of Hope for walking me through your operation this week.”
 

Secretary Price visited the Dispensary of Hope in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday. Photos
Courtesy of HHS.
Here are a few updates from across the Department:
Feds Feeds Families Update
In case you missed it, HHS is in the middle of a “food fight” with the Department of
Agriculture to help our neighbors who are in need. Families are counting on us to put up a
good fight!  Last week, on behalf of our Department, I challenged my good friend,
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, to a #FedsFoodFight to “see who can put more weight
behind #fedsfeedfamilies.” He’s accepted: “@USDA has built-in advantage over @HHSGov
- we know a little bit about supplying food!”
Food banks particularly face severe food shortages over the summer months. HHS employees
have always shown their generosity to their local communities, and we encourage you to
participate in the Feds Feed Families food drive, which goes through August 31, 2017. Nonperishable – and nutritious – items collected within the National Capital Region are donated to
the Capital Area Food Bank and their partnering food pantries and soup kitchens. Outside of
the Washington, D.C., area, employees may support food banks and pantries in their

 communities. For more information, please contact your office coordinator or the HHS FFF
Chair, Christine Youssef, or Champion, Lori Ruderman at Fedsfeedfamilies@hhs.gov.
With your support, we can exceed last year’s 96,911 pounds and surpass our 2017 goal of
100,000 pounds. The folks at ASPA have collected almost 200 pounds toward their office
goal of 1,000 pounds.  Please send your stories about your office’s progress to
Simone.Myrie@hhs.gov and ASPA will let the entire Department know. We can do good and
have fun – and beat the Department of Agriculture!
 

Secretary Price challenged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to a #FedsFoodFight on
Twitter
NIH’s Next Generation Researchers
On Thursday, NIH Director Francis Collins announced the launch of the Next Generation
Researchers Initiative to help boost support for early and mid-career scientists. This new
initiative will strengthen the biomedical research enterprise landscape by helping to provide
the next generation of researchers with the opportunities and resources they need to blaze new
trails while seasoned experts continue to evaluate NIH’s research portfolio.
An Update from OASH
The Office of Minority Health is marking the 2017 observance of Men’s Health Month this
June by encouraging men and boys to take steps to help them live healthier lives. OMH and
its partners will encourage men and boys to educate themselves, prioritize exercise, quit
smoking, and be mindful of the foods they consume.

 An Update from FDA
On Thursday, FDA requested that a reformulated extended release opioid pain medication be
removed from the market, telling its manufacturer that the benefits of the drug may no longer
outweigh its risks. This is the first time the agency has taken steps to remove a currently
marketed opioid pain medication from sale due to the public health consequences of abuse.
We need all corners of the Department contributing to fighting the public health crisis of
opioid addiction, and it is great to have FDA take action in a case like this.FDA requests
removal of certain Rx opioid for risks related to abuse FDA requests removal of certain Rx
opioid for risks related to abuse
An Update from SAMHSA
The real heroes in the fight against opioid addiction and substance abuse in general are the
families, local communities, and state and tribal governments on the front lines. On Friday,
we announced $34 million in SAMHSA grants to improve treatment for youth with substance
use disorders. These awarded grants will specifically help youth struggling with substance
abuse get the treatment they need to get on the road to recovery.
 
Reimagining HHS Update
As explained in my email from Friday, the outline of the plan for reimagining how we perform
our mission at the Department is finally taking shape. It has been heartening to see so much
agreement from various streams of information we’re consulting. The ideas we’ve gathered so
far are being organized into six major themes for our reimagining process, which will be
presented to OMB at the end of this month.
Thank you again for your service and commitment to the American people. It truly takes the
collective work of a skilled team to accomplish great things. It’s an honor to lead this team.
 
Thomas E. Price, M.D.

 Secretary of Health and Human Services

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Hello from Alaska!
Friday, August 18, 2017 2:27:07 PM

Dear Team:
This email comes to you while I’m visiting Alaska today, to learn about the partnership
between the Indian Health Service and the Alaska Native community up here. We’ll also be
learning about how Alaskans are handling some of the public health challenges we see across
our nation, like the opioid crisis.
The visit brings ReImagine HHS to mind because it’s a reminder of the breadth of the work
HHS does, and how we touch the lives of Americans from coast to coast. That’s one reason
why it is so important for HHS to always be thinking about how we can best fulfill our
mission.
The way Alaskans have tackled the unique challenges of delivering healthcare and human
services across a vast state is also a reminder of how we need to put people at the center of
our work and be responsive and innovative—two of the strategic shifts we’ve developed for
ReImagine HHS.
The last time we sent an update about ReImagine HHS, we were moving forward with
building out the six strategic shifts and specific initiatives after we’d presented them to OMB.
A key step in that is bringing these ideas to the heads of every Operating Division and Staff
Division, to solicit their expertise and perspective.
The ReImagine HHS team has now completed meetings with almost every one of those
leaders. Part of the purpose of these meetings is to get folks thinking about who within their
divisions could assist as we begin building out and implementing specific initiatives this fall.
We’ve been heartened to find out that many Op Divs and Staff Divs have already been
thinking about shifts like the ones put forth through ReImagine HHS.
There is going to be a lot of work involved in making these strategic shifts a reality—not just
in the next few months but in the years to come. We’re going to need your help, and your
input.
So if you are interested in engaging with Reimagine HHS, there are going to be more
opportunities to do so coming up soon.
If you served in one of the ReImagine HHS workgroups, we will certainly look to you to
continue thinking about the shifts that came out of the work you did this spring. But if you
haven’t given a thought at all yet to this process—even if you’ve just skimmed these emails!
—there will be new opportunities to get involved. Stay tuned for more.
Thank you for your service to the American people, and have a great weekend!
Tom Price, M.D.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
 

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Lessons from the Ballpark
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 9:58:42 AM

From the Desk of Secretary Sylvia Burwell

Ask the Secretary   HHS Employee Spotlight   The People We Serve   Leaving the Department Stronger

Dear HHS Colleagues:
Few things cap off a warm summer evening like a night at the ballpark. That’s why I was thrilled that so
many people from around the Department joined our HHS Night at the Ballpark, sharing an evening
out of the office this July.
I learned a valuable lesson that night: First pitches are never easy   – just ask Mariah Carey, rapper
50 Cent, or our own Kevin Griffis, who pitched as a reliever in college, but as he claims, was unlikely to
be confused with Max Scherzer. So I practiced. And practiced. And practiced. Like my staff will tell
you, I don’t usually go into anything unprepared. Throwing the first pitch at a Nationals game was no
exception.
But when I got up to that mound, well...let’s just say the team won’t be calling me up as a reliever this
season. Sometimes we do our best and still don’t quite make it over the line. As I told my children that
night, failure can teach you many things.
I know in our line of work, there’s not much room for error – many people depend on what we do, and
the public spotlight can be pretty unforgiving. But in order to get better, we need to recognize when
we’ve fallen short of our goals, take stock of what went well, and make a plan to get better. That’s how
we grow and learn. That’s how this Department gets stronger.
As for me, I’ll keep working on my fastball.
I had a chance to learn about sportsmanship from the best. This past week, I made a trip to Rio de
Janeiro to see the incredible athletes of the Paralympic Games. The United States was well
represented by Tatyana and Hannah McFadden – a couple of the world’s top wheelchair racers, and
daughters of Bridget O’Shaughnessey, part of our team here at HHS. Go Team USA!
Here’s a snapshot of some of the ways we’ve been delivering impact and serving the American people
this summer.
Three-State Tour. The Affordable Care Act gives us important new tools to help people live healthier
lives. In July, I hit the road to see that progress. In Ohio, Iowa and Florida, I saw firsthand how doctors

 and nurses, hospitals and insurers, and patients and their families are all working together to build a
better health care system. You can see their stories in a blog post that recaps the trip.
Three-State Tour: Cleveland.

Head Start. As some of you know, I’m a Head Start kid--one of the more than 33 million Americans
who have discovered the joy of learning thanks to Head Start. So I was excited recently to announce
the steps we’re taking to make the program even better. We’re planning to extend classroom
instruction; raising education standards; and giving parents more opportunity to participate in their
children’s education. And all the while, we’re cutting the regulatory burden on these programs by
nearly a third. All of these improvements will help us keep this program strong for the many future
generations of Head Start kids. Check out this video  .
Homelessness. I have the opportunity this year to chair the U.S. Interagency Council on
Homelessness, and it’s been an exciting time of progress in our nation’s effort to reduce
homelessness. New data shows that the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has been cut
by 47 percent since 2010. And with ACA helping people get covered, we’re reducing the chance that
an illness could result in financial hardship that leads to eviction.

To build on this momentum, we recently joined with private sector partners to issue a new challenge to
house and serve as many young people as possible in 100 days across three cities. The challenge
kicked off on September 7 in Austin. It’s one more way—working closely with local leaders and
communities—that we’re working to end youth homelessness by 2020.
Louisiana Flooding. As floodwaters rapidly rose in some parts of Louisiana last month, HHS quickly
responded. Teams from our Department continue to provide medical care at a federal medical station
in Baton Rouge and they’re working with the state to support the behavioral health needs of residents
affected by the flooding. Our team has provided care for 626 patients. ASPR also activated its
Emergency Prescription Assistance Program for people without health insurance who are affected by
disasters. Like it did when floodwaters hit my home state of West Virginia this June, SAMHSA
activated its 24/7 Disaster Distress helpline, a toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service.

 Ask the Secretary
I want to hear from our team, so each quarter I’m answering a question from you!
Q: Today, one of the contributing factors to the opioid epidemic is the over prescription of pain
medication by doctors. What tools do we have in place, or measures that HHS is taking to prevent
doctors from over-prescribing and patients from having access to too many opioids? –submitted by an
employee in ASPR
Secretary Burwell: Battling the opioid epidemic has been one of our top priorities. Building upon the
HHS Opioid Initiative to tackle the opioid epidemic, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy recently
sent a letter to 2.3 million American health professionals, asking them to help lead a national
movement to turn the tide on the nation’s prescription opioid epidemic. Dr. Murthy urged clinicians to
visit a website his office launched in August, TurnTheTideRx.org, where they can pledge their
commitment to combating opioid misuse by screening patients for opioid use disorder, and by leading
a shift in the public perception of addiction so that it is treated as a chronic illness rather than as a
moral failing. The letter also included a pocket card outlining the opioid prescribing guideline, which
CDC issued earlier this spring to help physicians make more informed prescribing decisions that will
provide safer and more effective care for their patients with chronic pain.

HHS Employee Spotlight
The people on our staff have incredible passion and dedication to their work. Each quarter, I like to
mention one—or more—of our colleagues whose work stands out. So many people from our
Department—from the CDC to BARDA, and many others—have been working tirelessly to fight the
spread of the Zika virus. But for this message, I want to specifically highlight the NIH team that
developed a Zika vaccine way ahead of schedule for clinical trials.
One of the critical challenges we face with the Zika virus is that today, there are no vaccines or
treatments targeted at this mosquito-borne virus. It often takes 10 years for a vaccine to go from a
concept to human clinical trials. The Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) did it in less than a year!
They launched the first human vaccine safety trial of this DNA-based vaccine last month, a type of
vaccine that’s similar to one they have been working on for the West Nile virus. Dr. John Mascola, the
center’s director, said the team worked overtime and put their expertise to work.
The NIAID scientists worked closely with their counterparts at FDA throughout the process. That way,
when they were ready to request approval to test the vaccine in people, the FDA would have the
information they needed to move quickly on their application.
“Because of the public health emergency, we had to work fast,” Dr. Mascola said. “We already had a
full portfolio of critical diseases—HIV, West Nile, influenza and more—and we had to add a whole new
disease. People had to take on new tasks while not letting anything else slip.”

 Other team members included Dr. Barney Graham; Dr. Julie Ledgerwood; Dr. Grace Chen; Abe
Mittelman, MBA, MPH; Marybeth Daucher, PhD; Hope Wilson; and Ted Pierson, PhD.
The Phase 2 clinical trial in Zika-endemic areas won’t take place before next year, but with promising
results from this and other approaches, this team at NIH has given us reason to hope. But we’ve
exhausted our ability to even provide short-term funding to help fight Zika. To mount the type of Zika
response that the American people deserve, Congress must pass Zika supplemental funding.

The People We Serve
You’ve heard me say it before—what we do, every day, is for those we serve: The Boss. Here’s a story
of one of those HHS bosses: Mohammed Mukhalalaty, a refugee from Syria, who works in Houston,
studies at a community college and hopes to eventually go to law school.
Mohammed thought he had a carefree childhood in Syria, but then civil war broke out. He wasn’t 18
years old when he saw a friend shot and killed by a sniper. His family got separated because of the
war and his mother sought asylum in the U.S. Fearing arrest, Mohammed fled to Jordan and lived on
his own there for nearly two years, going through extensive U.S. security checks until he finally got a
visa for the U.S.
Mohammed, only 22 now, told us that everyone he’s met in America has been supportive, helping him
with his English and showing him how to get around. As a refugee, Catholic Charities and the local
mosque community helped him make the transition. Catholic Charities is a national organization that
works with HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement to help refugees achieve self-sufficiency through
cultural orientation, job development, financial assistance and other services.
“The most amazing thing about the U.S. is that Americans make you feel you’re just like one of them,”
he told us. “And refugees have to contribute, to make this country better, by working, by studying, by
helping others. I consider the United States to be my country now.
Along with other refugees who have been successfully resettled in communities around the U.S.,
Mohammed shared his story with us for World Refugee Day. You can read his blog here.

 YouTube Embedded Video: #RefugeesWelcome: Mohammed of Syria

Leaving the Department Stronger
One of our important duties is to leave our Department stronger—and better able to serve the
American public. One such effort has been an initiative to reduce HHS’s backlog of FOIA requests and
to better manage them going forward.
Eight years ago, HHS had a lot of ground to cover to improve how quickly it responded to requests filed
with the Freedom of Information Act. We knew we had to improve. The American people—our bosses
—have a right to information about their government.
Michael Marquis, the head of the division, said he implemented “intelligent case management” to get
managers at every level of the Department involved and to closely monitor how responsive the HHS
FOIA program was in handling new requests. By developing a strategic plan, HHS was able to
improve processing FOIA requests by more than 70 percent, all while fulfilling new requests in record
time.
We still have work to do, but this turnaround, spearheaded by our FOIA and Privacy Acts Division, is
making our Department more transparent, and improving how we openly serve the American people. 

And Finally...
Here at HHS, we’ve faced the challenges of Zika; we’ve helped children thrive; and we’ve accelerated
our progress to build a better health care system. I know that’s quite a full plate.
But, I hope you also had sometime this summer to recharge in preparation for the fourth Open
Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace. Open Enrollment starts on November 1, and I know
the public can count on our Department’s commitment to make sure every American has access to

 quality, affordable health coverage.
I also know that you carry your passion and commitment for helping others outside the office. So I just
want to remind folks that the 2016 Combined Federal Campaign for the National Capital Area runs
through December 15. There are many ways to give, just visit the CFC website   for more information.
In addition, the key workers in your office can answer any CFC questions you may have.
So let me end with my sincere thanks for all the work that you do every day. Your dedication to our
mission is what makes this Department so extraordinary.
As always, I am proud to serve alongside you.
Sylvia Burwell
Secretary

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