The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has just released a comprehensive report on the Department's progress over the first one hundred days of President Obama's Administration.

According to a press release on the HHS website, the report highlights the Department's work in quick and careful distribution of funds from the 2009 Recovery Act, and also emphasizes HHS's collaboration with the White House on health reform and efforts to improve efficiency, innovation, accountability, and transparency in its programs.

"The talented staff at the Department of Health and Human Services has made tremendous progress in 100 days toward our shared mission of making the government more accountable to the American people. Whether it's working with the White House on comprehensive health reform and creating tools like healthreform.gov to make the process open and transparent to the American people, delivering critical resources to the Americans through the Recovery Act, or confronting tough challenges like the flu outbreak head-on, I am proud of what they have been able to achieve," said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the press release. "In the days ahead, I look forward to working closely with our staff and the Administration to build on this impressive record of accomplishment and continue to work to improve the health of the nation and provide essential services to the American people."

As an example, the report details how $155 million authorized by the Recovery Act has gone to support community health centers through access point grants, which will benefit an estimated 750,000 Americans with otherwise no access to care, and creating over 5,000 jobs. Three hundred million dollars in Recovery Act funding and grants will help ensure more underserved Americans receive the vaccines they need. The report also explains efforts in Recovery Act fraud reporting, reducing drug prices, and reducing Medicare overpayments to private insurers through competitive payments.

The HHS says that their senior staff has worked with the President, Congress, and White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle during the first 100 days of the new Administration to begin laying the groundwork for enacting comprehensive health reform in 2009, and to further implement the Recovery Act, including the "essential policies to prevent a surge in the number of uninsured Americans" and preparing for health and economic dividends in future months.

The report can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/progressreport/report.pdf

Adapted from a press release by the HHS.

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