The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a healthcare organizat

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a healthcare organization created to enhance the health and well-being of Americans, especially those who are least able to help themselves. The website includes information about HHS and its programs and services, grants and contracts, and laws and regulations. Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the use of clinician expertise combined with patient data research and analysis that provides substantiated proof for best practice when it comes to quality of patient care (MeInyk, et al., 2010). EBP appears directly in the mission statement for The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: “to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services” (HHS, n.d.). It is apparent this healthcare organization’s work is grounded in evidence-based practice. Current public health concerns are defined and a list of resources is made available. These health concerns are a direct review of recent nation-wide research, and the resources follow best-practice guidelines. Human services information such as adoption and foster care are provided with a thorough list of other governing agencies and resources available to the public. The HHS combined their research with other means of care in order to improve citizens lives and provide best patient care. The entire organization revolves around improved patient outcomes, which is what EBP supports. The information I found on the Health and Human Services website has definitely changed my perception of the organization. Although I knew they participated in providing health resources for U.S. citizens I did not realize the extent of their inclusion of evidence-based practice. As future advanced-practice nurses it is important to understand organizations supporting evidence-based practice and incorporate their goals into the care we provide. It is also important to know the resources available to our patients- which can come from departments such as this one. Incorporating the HHS guidelines into our practices can lead to a reduction in costs and an improvement in patient outcomes, ultimately leading to higher quality of care and greater reliability (Melnyk, et al., 2014).