Department of Health & Human Services USA logo


Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite LL100
Rockville, MD 20852 · (240) 453-8280
http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion logo

Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) plays a vital role in developing and coordinating a wide range of national disease prevention
and health promotion strategies.


Select ODPHP Activities

Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Published jointly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture every 5 years since 1980, this publication is the statutorily mandated basis for Federal nutrition education activities. Visit http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/.

healthfinder® — healthfinder® is Government’s premier gateway Web site linking consumers and professionals to over 5,500 health information resources from the Federal Government and its many partners. Visit http://www.healthfinder.gov/.

Healthy People 2010Healthy People 2010 presents a comprehensive set of disease prevention and health promotion objectives developed to improve the health of all people in the United States during the first decade of the 21st century. Visit http://www.healthypeople.gov/.

Healthy People 2010 Health Communication Focus Area — The six objectives in the focus area represent a range of key issues in health communication. They address the diffusion of the Internet to households, the quality of health Web sites, health literacy, provider-patient communication, research and evaluation of communication programs, and Centers of Excellence in health communication. Visit http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/projects/HealthComm/.

Luther Terry Fellowship — This fellowship is located within the Office of Public Health and Science
(OPHS) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is 2 years in duration and is open to
physicians with a master’s in public health or an equivalent degree. Visit
http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/projects/LutherTerry.htm.

National Health Information Center (NHIC) — This Internet-accessible clearinghouse with a toll-free number provides a central health information referral service for consumers and professionals using a database of more than 1,700 national associations, Government agencies, and other organizations. Visit http://www.health.gov/nhic or call 1-800-336-4797.

National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) — The NHII encompasses information and communication technologies to advance personal health, population health, prevention, and health care. The goal is to ensure that all health decisionmakers, including consumers and patients, have the information they need, when and where they need it. The NHII provides the framework for public and private policies and programs. Visit http://ncvhs.hhs.gov/nhiilayo.pdf.

Prevention Communication Research Database (PCRD) — The PCRD is a searchable collection of
audience research conducted or sponsored by HHS agencies designed to provide access to research
findings that may not be widely known or published in peer-reviewed journals. Visit
http://www.health.gov/communication.

Safe and Bright Futures for Children Initiative — An initiative to diminish the damaging effects of
domestic violence on children and adolescents and to stop the cycles of abuse and intentional injury. Visit
http://www.osophs.dhhs.gov/ophs/safebrightfutures.htm.

Steps to a HealthierUS (Steps)Steps is Secretary Thompson’s bold new initiative to advance the President’s HealthierUS goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives. It will identify and promote programs that foster healthy behaviors and prevention. Priority areas for the Steps initiative are diabetes, obesity, asthma, heart disease, stroke, and cancer; also included are poor nutrition, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and youth risk taking. Visit www.healthierus.gov/steps/.