in the united states, the department of health and human services is responsible for coordinating health programs in the country. with more than 100 programs and services, the united states department of health and human services (hhs) aims to "protect the health of all americans and provide essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves." these federal programs consist of social service programs, civil rights and healthcare privacy programs, disaster preparedness programs, and health related research. hhs offers a variety of social service programs geared toward persons with low income, disabilities, military families, and senior citizens. healthcare rights are defined under hhs in the health insurance portability and accountability act (hipaa) which protect patient's privacy in regards to medical information. hhs collaborates with the office of the assistant secretary for preparedness and response and office of emergency management to prepare and respond to health emergencies. a broad array of health related research is supported or completed under the hhs; secondarily under hhs, the health resources & service administration houses data warehouses and makes health data available surrounding a multitude of topics. hhs also has vast offering of health related resources and tools. some examples of available resources include disease prevention, wellness, health insurance information, as well as links to healthcare providers and facilities, meaningful health related materials, and public health and safety information.