Reorganization of the Office of Health Equity, 76836-76838 [2024-21411]

Agencies

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76836-76838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21411]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Reorganization of the Office of Health Equity

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: CDC has modified its structure. This notice announces the 
reorganization of the Office of Health Equity (OHE). OHE abolished an 
office and modified mission and function statements.

DATES: This reorganization of OHE was approved by the Director of CDC 
on September 13, 2024, and became effective September 13, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kem Williams, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS TW-3, Atlanta, GA 
30329; Telephone 404-639-7199; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Part C (Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention) of the Statement of Organization, Functions, and 
Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services 
(45 FR 67772-76, dated October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, 
October 20, 1980, as amended most recently at 89 FR 68442-68443, dated 
August 26, 2024) is amended to reflect the reorganization of Office of 
Health Equity, Immediate Office of the Director, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention. Specifically, the changes are as follows:
    I. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, make the 
following changes:

 Update the mission for the Office of Health Equity (CAG)
 Update the mission for the Office of the Director (CAG1)
 Abolish the Office of Equitable Population Health (CAGB)
 Update the mission for the Office of Minority Health (CAGC)
 Update the mission for the Office of Health Equity (CAGD)

    II. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, within 
the Office of Health Equity (CAG), delete the mission or function 
statements for and replace with the following:
    Office of Health Equity (CAG). The Office of Health Equity (OHE) is 
located in the CDC Immediate Office of the Director and serves as 
principal advisor to the CDC Director on all health equity matters 
domestic and global. In carrying out its mission, OHE: (1) leads an 
agency-wide health equity strategy that includes crosscutting multi-
year initiatives that advance comprehensive, well-defined, and 
measurable health outcomes; (2) coordinates health equity science 
including advancing the surveillance of health equity indicators and 
the science of achieving health equity by consistently applying data 
collection and analysis standards in collaboration with the Office of 
Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, as well as the Office 
of Science; (3) coordinates programs, practices, policies, and budget 
decisions across the agency with a health equity lens that includes a 
comprehensive view of disparities (including race, ethnicity, gender, 
sexual orientation, rurality, disability) and health inequities (e.g., 
social determinants of health); (4) works in collaboration with CDC's 
Office of Communications to develop and lead agency-wide communication 
efforts aimed at increasing awareness, transparency, language access, 
and cultural responsiveness; disseminate scientific and programmatic 
findings to the public; and foster synergy amongst CDC health equity 
initiatives; (5) shares best practices, coordinates, collaborates, and 
collectively advances health equity standards and principles in 
science, programs, and in communications with the public and our 
partners; (6) leads and supports a health equity approach for emergency 
responses across the agency that includes working with partners to 
reach communities that are underserved and subject to largely 
preventable health disparities and health-related needs; and (7) 
applies an intersectionality lens to addressing health disparities by 
working across units within OHE and CIOs to increase program efficacy 
closing gaps that perpetuate disparities and inequities.
    Office of the Director (CAG1). The Office of the Director provides

[[Page 76837]]

leadership, oversight, fiscal management, and coordination to all units 
within the Office of Health Equity, including leading and coordinating 
the planning and implementation of an agency-wide strategy to address 
largely preventable health disparities and health inequities among 
persons with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people 
who live in rural and frontier communities. The Office of the Director 
ensures collaboration through a matrix management approach across all 
units within OHE to achieve an intersectional approach to reducing 
health disparities in populations that have experienced persistent 
patterns of poor health outcomes. Further, the Office of the Director: 
(1) drives Executive accountability and responsive decision-making 
relevant to health equity at all levels; (2) ensures agency-wide health 
equity approaches through the development of key deliverables and 
indicators (e.g., standardized documents, processes, policies, and 
practices that advance health equity); (3) incorporates health equity 
into existing and future agency policies and programs building on 
current efforts that have been effective in achieving equity; (4) leads 
the advancement of intersectional health equity practices and 
principles across the agency; (5) leads efforts to build agency-wide 
competency in health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) 
that effectively support cross-cutting equity considerations for both 
ongoing activities and during emergency response-related efforts; (6) 
leads and contributes technical expertise to the development of 
training materials which will support a cadre of professionals who will 
assist in emergency response work and who have expertise related to 
disproportionately affected communities (e.g., racial and ethnic 
minority populations, people with disabilities, and non-U.S. born 
persons), prioritizing individuals who can assist in a culturally 
responsive and linguistically appropriate manner and who would easily 
be able to engage with appropriate community leaders in the response; 
(7) serves as the primary point of contact for efforts across the CDC's 
ecosystem to develop and share best practices, coordinate, collaborate, 
and collectively advance health equity standards and principles in 
science, programs, and in communications with the public; and (8) 
proactively fosters community engagement with existing partners, STLT 
health departments, engagement with people with lived experience from 
disproportionately affected communities and strengthen relationships 
with national and community-based organizations (CBOs).
    Office of Minority Health (CAGC). Office of Minority Health (OMH) 
(1) promotes public health research, evidence-based programs, policies, 
and strategies to improve the health and well-being of racial and 
ethnic minority populations; (2) focuses on the collective goal of the 
success, sustainability and dissemination of health equity promoting 
policies, programs, and practices; (3) provides subject matter 
expertise to the Office of Health Equity in areas that are related to 
racial and ethnic minority health; (4) works in a coordinated manner 
with the Office of Women's Health (OWH) to ensure an intersectionality 
lens is applied to the work to improve the health and well-being of 
people who identify with a racial and/or ethnic population as well as 
other identity groups such as people with disabilities; (5) applies an 
intersectionality lens, contributes subject matter expertise to the 
development of guidance documents and standards related to improving 
minority health; (6) applies an intersectionality lens, partners with 
CIOs to implement and refine how health equity approaches related to 
minority health are operationalized and institutionalized; (7) 
contributes technical expertise to the development of quantitative and 
qualitative indicators and metrics needed to assess minority health and 
associated health inequities; (8) partners with CIOs to use 
standardized tools and metrics relevant to minority health to monitor 
progress, measure effectiveness, and make changes to improve health 
outcomes; (9) contributes technical expertise to the development of 
minority health and equity-related technical communication products 
(e.g., white papers, technical briefs, success stories); (10) provides 
thought leadership and technical consultation in the science and 
practice of minority health, health equity, and the elimination of 
health disparities; (11) applies an intersectionality lens, contributes 
technical expertise in minority health to agency-wide communication 
efforts aimed to increase awareness of CDC's equity approaches and 
infuse those approaches into CDC's public health work; (12) supports 
the Chief Health Equity Officer (CHEO) unit during emergency responses; 
and (13) assists the Immediate Office of the Director, as needed, to 
identify and develop partnerships with STLTS health departments, 
minority health-focused national and CBOs.
    Office of Women's Health (CAGD). (1) promotes public health 
research, evidence-based programs, policies, and strategies to improve 
the health and well-being of women and girls; (2) serves as a central 
point for women's health and raises visibility of risk factors and 
other conditions that impact women's and girls' health; (3) provides 
subject matter expertise to support gender and women's health and 
collaborates with OMH to develop a whole of public health approach 
while contributing to and supporting the work of OHE/OD; (4) applies an 
intersectionality lens, contributes subject matter expertise to the 
development of guidance documents and standards related to women's 
health; (5) applies an intersectionality lens when partnering with CIOs 
to implement and refine how health equity approaches related to women's 
health are operationalized and institutionalized; (6) contributes 
technical expertise to the development of quantitative and qualitative 
indicators and metrics needed to assess women's health; (7) partners 
with CIOs to use standardized tools and metrics relevant to women's 
health to monitor progress, measure effectiveness, and make changes to 
improve health equity outcomes; (8) contributes technical expertise to 
the development of women's health and equity-related technical 
communication products (e.g., white papers, technical briefs, success 
stories); (9) contributes technical expertise in women's health to 
agency-wide activities that include (a) developing and disseminating 
key guidance documents, where needed, that address social and 
structural determinants of health; (b) advancing the surveillance of 
health equity indicators and the science of achieving gender health 
equity; and (c) consistently applying data collection and analysis 
standards in collaboration with the Office of Public Health Data, 
Surveillance, and Technology and the Office of Science; (10) applies an 
intersectionality lens, contributes technical expertise in women's 
health to agency-wide communication efforts aimed to increase awareness 
of CDC's gender equity approaches and infuse those approaches into 
CDC's public health work; (11) applies an intersectionality lens to 
technical expertise in the design of training programs and technical 
assistance efforts implemented with CIOs, programs, partner 
organizations, and communities; and (12) assists the OHE Office of the 
Director, as needed, on partnership development and community 
engagement efforts,

[[Page 76838]]

including for emergency response events.
    III. Under part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, delete 
the respective mission or functional statements for and replace with 
the following:
    Meningitis, Pertussis, and Diphtheria Epidemiology Branch (CJEC). 
(1) provides epidemiologic subject matter expertise and technical 
assistance for surveillance, prevention, and control of bacterial 
illness, including meningococcal disease, Haemophilus influenzae 
disease, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and bacterial meningitis 
syndrome; (2) develops, implements, and evaluates prevention strategies 
for these bacterial diseases, including vaccine and non-vaccine 
strategies; (3) supports development of vaccine policy through the ACIP 
process; (4) conducts surveillance and epidemiological research for 
meningococcal disease, H. influenzae disease, diphtheria, pertussis, 
tetanus, and bacterial meningitis syndrome; (5) provides consultation 
and support to domestic and international partners on the use of 
vaccines and other prevention measures for bacterial respiratory 
diseases; and (6) collaborates with other CDC groups, other federal 
agencies, state, tribal, local, and territorial groups, ministries of 
health, World Health Organization, private industry, academia, and 
other governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in 
public health.

Delegations of Authority

    All delegations and redelegations of authority made to officials 
and employees of affected organizational components will continue in 
them or their successors pending further redelegation, provided they 
are consistent with this reorganization.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3101)

Robin D. Bailey,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-21411 Filed 9-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P