HHS News 
Top News
- 5 percent of federal workers to be furloughed Friday
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
OPM convenes workgroup to address domestic violence in federal workplace
The Office of Personnel Management will convene an interagency workgroup in the coming weeks to establish governmentwide policies on domestic violence in the federal workplace. Rob Shriver, deputy general council for policy at OPM, has an update on the personnel agency's progress.
Panel: Hiring reform critical as brain drain looms
The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discussed the big issues in recruitment, hiring and retention with a panel of federal hiring experts.
Half of federal websites working on mobile strategy
The results of a ForeSee poll also show one-third of the 40 federal websites surveyed already have launched mobile initiatives.
White House touts success of agency 'challenges'
Increasingly, agencies are using a tool at their disposal. Instead of issuing RFP's, they're issuing challenges. And according to a new report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, agencies that have jumped on the challenge bandwagon have begun to "reap the rewards of well-designed prizes integrated into a broader innovation strategy."
Legislative changes needed to make bigger dent in improper payments
OMB controller Danny Werfel said the computer matching provisions in the Privacy Act make it harder for agencies to share information that would make stopping or finding waste, fraud and abuse easier. Senate lawmakers agreed they need to update the law to protect information but reduce the complexities.
HHS levies $1.5 million on Tenn. insurance company for data theft
The Health and Human Service Department has settled for a $1.5 million fine on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, stemming from a 2009 identity theft case.
Frank Baitman takes over as HHS CIO
The Department of Health and Human Services taps Frank Baitman to be its new chief information officer. He comes to HHS from the Food and Drug Administration where he was an entrepreneur-in-residence.
Obama appoints Todd Park to federal CTO role
The White House announced today President Barack Obama will appoint Todd Park to serve as the next federal chief technology officer. Park most recently served at the CTO of the Health and Human Services Department and fills the slot vacated by Aneesh Chopra, who stepped down last month after three years in the position.
CMS eyes $370M goal in stemming improper payments
Jon Blum, the deputy administrator and director for the Center of Medicare at CMS, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss the agency's new goal of stopping $370 million in improper payments.
OMB reports contract spending stayed flat in 2011
A new report shows agencies already cut the use of management-support contracts by 7 percent in 2011. OMB details four focus areas to continue to reduce spending on contracts for 2012.
Fmr. FDA commissioner calls for overhaul of medical approval process
The Food and Drug Administration takes too long to approve potentially life-saving treatments and devices, says the agency's former head.
GSA website now offers 100 federal apps
In less than two years, the General Services Administration's mobile application website has grown from offering 15 apps to 100.
Discretionary Budget Authority 2008-2013
A look at the discretionary budget authority for Cabinet-level agencies from 2008-2013.
ONC developing mobile security in health IT
ONC said it wants to encourage the adoption of new technologies in clinical settings, but it also want to make sure patient privacy is kept safe and secure.
Analysis: White House reorg plan could leave out agencies' functions
The White House is taking a new step toward reducing duplicative government programs and reorganizing agencies. John Kamensky of the IBM Center for the Business of Government and Ira Shapiro, an international trade lawyer, give analysis on the recent administration proposals.
Study: Problems with Medicare contractors persist
Private contractors that are supposed to guard against Medicare fraud paid claims submitted in the names of dead providers or for unnecessary medical treatments, which were among problems estimated to cost more than $1 billion in 2009, according to an inspector general report released Friday.
Feds plan to shell out more money to get to work
Without Congressional action, the public transit benefit that many federal employees use to take the subway, bus or vanpool to work will decrease on Jan. 1 from $230 to $125 per month. Feds said, for the most part, they'll continue to use mass transit even if it costs them more to get to work.
Sunlight reviews open government directive
John Wonderlich of the Sunlight Foundation talks about his organization's review of the Open Government Directive. How well have agencies complied with mandate?
Treasury, HHS, Justice find more areas to cut waste
Cutting back on excess dollar-coins, tackling Medicare prescription drug abuse and prosecuting procurement fraud are just some of the ways the White House says agencies cut back on government waste in 2011.
'Moneyball' strategy works for feds?
Agencies have tons of data but don't always use it wisely. A new report examines how a few agencies are analyzing statistics to reach their goals. The Partnership for Public Service and IBM suggest in their report agencies try the 2002 Oakland A's approach to using statistics to build a winning team.
