[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 194 (Monday, October 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62475-62477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25455]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the 
Statement of

[[Page 62476]]

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 67 FR 42268-42271, dated July 21, 2002) is amended to 
reorganize the Office of the Director, NCHS.
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete the functional statement for the National Center for Health 
Statistics (CS) and insert the following:
    (1) Provides national leadership in health statistics and 
epidemiology; (2) collects, analyzes, and disseminates national health 
statistics on vital events and health activities, including the 
physical, mental, and physiological characteristics of the population, 
illness, injury, impairment, the supply and utilization of health 
facilities and manpower, the operation of the health services system: 
health costs and expenditures, changes in the health status of people, 
and environmental, social, and other health hazards; (3) administers 
the Cooperative Health Statistics System; (4) stimulates and conducts 
basic and applied research in health data systems and statistical 
methodology; (5) coordinates to the maximum extent feasible, the 
overall health statistical and epidemiological activities of the 
program and agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services 
(DHHS) and provides technical assistance in the planning, management, 
and evaluation of the Department's statistical programs; (6) maintains 
operational liaison with statistical units of other health agencies, 
public and private, and provides technical assistance within the 
limitations of staff resources; (7) fosters research, consultation, and 
training programs in international statistical activities; (8) 
participates in the development of national health statistics policy 
with other Federal agencies; (9) directs the environmental and 
epidemiological statistics programs of the National Center for Health 
Statistics (NCHS); and (10) provides the Secretary, DHHS with 
consultation and advice on statistical matters in its role as the 
Government's principal general-purpose health statistics organization 
as designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
    Delete the functional statement for the Office of the Director 
(CS1) and insert the following:
    (1) Plans, directs, administers, coordinates and evaluates the 
total vital, health, and health-related statistics programs of the 
Center; (2) stimulates basic and applied research and development 
activities; (3) provides national and international leadership in vital 
and health statistics and epidemiology; (4) conducts a variety of 
professional activities to provide assistance to government agencies, 
to foster international relationships, and to improve the broad fields 
of vital and health statistics and epidemiology; (5) coordinates the 
Center's activities with public and private health statistical 
agencies; (6) provides advice and guidance on disease classification 
problems in the Center, coordinates activities within the Center on 
classification of diseases and procedures; and has responsibility for 
development of revision proposals and U.S. position on decennial 
revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD); (7) 
directs the Center's environmental and epidemiological statistics 
programs; (8) provides management and administration for the Center; 
(9) provides program planning and development for the Center; (10) 
develops and coordinates legislative activities; and (11) directs and 
coordinates Center activities in support of the Department's Equal 
Employment Opportunity program.
    Delete in its entirety the functional statement for the Office of 
International Statistics (CS15) and the Office of Data Standards, 
Program Development, and Extramural Programs (CS16).
    After the Office of Planning, Budget and Legislation (CS17), insert 
the following:
    Classifications and Public Health Data Standards Staff (CS18). (1) 
Serves as a nucleus for Public Health data standards and health 
classifications by fostering the collaborative development of tools and 
guidelines to enhance the integrity, comparability, quality, and 
usefulness of the data products from a wide variety of public and 
private agencies at the national and sub-national levels; (2) 
establishes and maintains liaison and partnerships with Federal 
agencies within and outside DHHS and with a wide variety of private and 
professional organizations to promote uniformity in classifications, 
data sets, definitions, and related data policies and standards; (3) 
assures representation of NCHS and takes a leadership role on intra- 
and interagency task forces and committees reviewing and developing 
uniform data elements and data sets for diverse health care settings, 
nomenclatures and classifications; (4) serves as a focal point within 
NCHS for collaborative activities related to computer-based patient 
record development; (5) supports the Director, NCHS, as a member of the 
DHHS Data Council and coordinates NCHS staff support to the Data 
Council for Public Health data standards activities; (6) provides 
scientific and technical support and Executive Secretariat services to 
the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), the 
legislatively-mandated advisory committee to the Secretary, DHHS; (7) 
establishes and maintains liaison between NCVHS and agencies within 
DHHS, other governmental agencies, and relevant private and 
professional organizations; (8) directs and facilitates cross-cutting 
Public Health data standards activities that involve multiple outside 
organizations and have important implications for NCHS and CDC 
programs; (9) provides liaison with standards-setting organizations on 
emerging data needs and on medical and health classification issues; 
(10) is responsible for overseeing, coordinating, evaluating, and 
formulating recommendations for the ICD Family of Classifications and 
related classifications, by providing the focus within NCHS for the 
development and execution of classification activities; (11) serves as 
the focal point and coordinator of U.S. Government activities related 
to the ICD and maintains liaison with the World Health Organization 
(WHO), through direction of the WHO Collaborating Center for the 
Classification of Diseases of North America; (12) provides advice and 
assistance within NCHS and to other agencies and organizations in the 
conduct of training activities related to Public Health data standards; 
conducts training in key areas as appropriate; and promotes appropriate 
training and educational materials for implementation and use of data 
sets and classification systems; (13) is responsible for assuring 
comparability of morbidity classification, using current and subsequent 
versions of the ICD for morbidity, and recommends revisions to the ICD 
for morbidity applications as appropriate; (14) assumes full 
responsibility for the development and implementation of the evaluation 
program of NCHS for assessment of the adequacy, completeness, and 
responsiveness of Center programs both nationally and internationally 
to the NCHS mission and user needs for data; based on evaluations, 
makes proposals for changes in NCHS programs or policies; (15) 
participates with appropriate agencies and organizations to promote the 
dissemination, adoption, and use of Public Health data standards 
advocated by NCHS, DHHS, and the NCVHS; to

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this end, develops comprehensive policy analyses and special reports, 
and newsletters; and (16) directs the work of the Public Health Data 
Standards Consortium.

    Dated: September 20, 2002.
William Gimson,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 02-25455 Filed 10-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M