Find Information - FAQs:

There are three ways to submit a FOIA request:

1. Online - Go to the OS “Submit a Request” web page and complete the form.
    
2. Mail - Submit your request to the OS FOIA Office at the following address:
   OS Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts Division
   330 C Street, S.W.
   Switzer Building, Room 2206
   Washington, D.C.  20201
    
3. Fax – Fax a letter stating your request to:  (202) 690-8320

1. The FOIA Request is received and logged in.
    
2. Request is sent to program office within HHS for a search for responsive records.
    
3. Program office conducts a search and sends responsive records, if any, to the FOIA Office.
    
4. The FOIA office:

• reviews the records;
• coordinates with other components, agencies and entities that have in interest in the disposition of the records;
• prepares records for release or withholding as appropriate under the FOIA; and
• responds with any released records to the requester.
   

When your request is logged into the tracking system, you will receive a letter or card to acknowledge its receipt.  Under the FOIA program, agencies initially have 20 working days and may take an additional ten (10) working days to respond to the request.  The Office of the Secretary (OS) FOIA office will do its best to meet this deadline, but the nature of your request can be a factor in the speed of processing. 

Some factors affecting the processing may include:  

1. whether or not your request asks for a large volume of records, as opposed to a small amount,
2. the detail and adequacy of the description of the records you want,
3. whether or not a search must done in multiple organizational components and/or geographical locations, 
4. whether the request requires significant consultation or coordination with various components or agencies,
5. whether your letter includes a statement of willingness to pay all FOIA processing fees,
6. whether or not the request requires substantial review of material which may be exempt from release, or
7. whether the request is complex in other ways, for example, if it seeks very old records, or if the information requires consultation with the original submitter of proprietary data prior to release.

To assure a faster processing time for your request, we ask that you:

1. limit your request to the minimum records needed,
2. provide a clear and concise description of the information sought, including any available information as to which organizational component or geographic location you believe may contain the records, and
3. provide a statement of willingness to pay FOIA processing services fees.
    

Under the FOIA, the government may withhold portions or all of some records if the records contain information that falls under any of the nine FOIA exemptions.  The OS FOIA Office makes every attempt to provide a full release where possible, this is not always possible.  The following are the most commonly cited exemptions which form the basis for withholding records.

1. Exemption 3: Protects information that is prohibited from disclosure by a statute other than the FOIA.   
2. Exemption 4: Protects trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information.  
3. Exemption 5: Permits the withholding of inter- and intra-agency records, which are predecisional and contain staff advice, opinion and recommendation.  This exemption is intended to preserve free and candid internal dialogue leading to decision-making, and includes the attorney-client privilege and/or the attorney work product privilege.
4. Exemption 6: Permits the withholding of information that if released would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.
5. Exemption 7: Protects certain law enforcement records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes.

To learn more about the exemptions, you may wish to view the FOIA, as amended, including the statutory exemption language: (http://www.justice.gov/oip/amended-foia-redlined-2010.pdf).

If FOIA records are withheld, in part or in full, your response letter will include a statement of your appeal rights.  The letter will say that you may appeal and provide instructions on how to appeal. 

If you do appeal, it will be logged into the Office of the Secretary's FOIA tracking system, and the initial request will be reconsidered in light of the issues you raise in your appeal.  The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA), or his/her designee, will respond on behalf of the Department as to the final determination on the appeal. 

• If the decision is to reverse, in whole or part, an initial determination to withhold records, you will receive the records that were withheld.  If your appeal is denied, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), which offers mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies.  Using OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue litigation.
   
• If your appeal is denied, you may file a FOIA lawsuit in the U.S. District Court where you live, in the district where the documents are located, or in the District of Columbia.
   

We are allowed to recover part of the costs associated with the processing of FOIA requests.  Unless you state a specific fee limit in your request, we will assume that you are willing to pay all the fees incurred in the processing of your request and we may contact you concerning the fees.

If your estimated fees exceed $250.00, you may be given the opportunity to narrow your request to reduce the fees or to confirm your commitment to pay the estimated amount.

You may wish to specify, in your request, the amount of fees you are willing to pay. We will then notify you if the anticipated fees will exceed this limit, and ask whether you wish us to proceed with the processing of your request.

The need to clarify fee issues or the absence of your willingness to pay processing costs could result in the delay or cancellation of your request.  We ask each requester, therefore, to provide a statement of willing to pay all FOIA processing costs, as the amount of search and review time involved in processing your request may not be readily apparent.

For purposes of fee assessments, the FOIA divides requesters into three categories: commercial use requesters; representatives of the media, and educational or noncommercial scientific institutions whose purpose is scholarly or scientific research; and, all other requesters.

For more information on fees/fee waivers see the Department's implementing regulations at 45 CFR part 5, Subpart D (http://www.hhs.gov/foia/45cfr5.html#Subd).

HHS sponsors a number of online training programs in many categories. To learn more, select from the following:

Library of Online Training Programs

• CDC Learning Connection
  CDC Learning Connection launched in November, 2010, is designed to help you locate learning products developed by CDC and CDC partners for the public health community. Check back often to access the growing collection of free products in a variety of media formats, including podcasts, e-learning, electronic publications, and live events.
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Educational Tutorials (NHLIB)
  The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers tutorials for the public on heart and vascular, cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight and physical activity, and sleep disorders.

Healthy Lifestyles

• Understanding Your Body (AHRQ)
  Understanding Your Body provides easy-to-understand explanations of body systems and disease conditions. This material can be used for patient education, life sciences curriculum development, or to enhance public understanding of general health concepts. Permission for such use is not required, but citation as to source is requested.
• Make Your Calories Count: Use the Nutrition Facts Label for Healthy Weight Management (FDA)
  Make Your Calories Count is an interactive learning program that provides consumers with information to help plan a healthful diet while managing calorie intake. The exercises will help consumers use the food label to make decisions about which food choice is right for them. For simplicity, the program presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium).
• Next Steps After Your Diagnosis, Finding Information and Support (AHRQ)
  Next Steps After Your Diagnosis offers general advice for people with almost any disease or condition. And it has tips to help you learn more about your specific problem and how it can be treated. The information here is presented in a simple way to help you scan the material and read only what you need right now. Organizations, publications, and other resources are included if you would like to know more. This online version has many additional resources with their Internet links. This document is also available in Spanish.
• Stryve, Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere
  Training opportunities are listed by date.

Top

Disease/Condition-Related Training

• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Education/Training Courses and Materials (SAMHSA)
  Information on this site is primarily for professionals working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
• Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Education and Training Centers
  The AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports a network of 11 regional centers (and more than 130 local associated sites) that conduct targeted, multidisciplinary education and training programs for health care providers treating people living with HIV/AIDS. The AETCs serve all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the 6 U.S. Pacific Jurisdictions. The AETC Program increases the number of health care providers who are effectively educated and motivated to counsel, diagnose, treat, and medically manage people with HIV disease, and to help prevent high-risk behaviors that lead to HIV transmission.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Curriculum Self-Study Modules for Clinicians (CDC)
  Seven web-based educational modules, each based on a specific STD topic. Each module is considered to be an individual course, and a student may complete as many modules as he or she chooses.
• Smallpox: What Every Clinician Should Know (CDC)
  The purpose of the Smallpox: What Every Clinician Should Know video is to provide clinicians with information on the virology, epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnosis of smallpox; the characteristics and use of smallpox vaccine; and proper management of smallpox vaccine recipients.
• National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death & Pregnancy Loss Resource Center Training Toolkit
  A number of resources are available to assist professionals, first responders, and parents to reduce the risk of sudden death in young children.

Top

Public Health and Health Care

• NIH Offic of Intramural Training and Education
  The NIH Office of intramural Training & Education (OITE) is a division of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR), Office of the Director (OD). The mission is to enhance the training experience of students and fellows on all of the NIH campuses. The staff works closely with the Training Offices in the NIH Institutes and Centers to help trainees in the Intramural Research Program (IRP). The intramural program is the sum of all the research projects carried out by NIH investigators and trainees in NIH facilities) develop scientific and professional skills that will enable them to become leaders in the biomedical research community.
• Public Health Assessment Process Interactive Learning Program (CDC/ATSDR)
  This program provides an overview of the public health assessment process that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) uses to evaluate whether people will be harmed by hazardous materials from waste sites or from other places where hazardous substances have been spilled or released into the environment.
• Environmental Health and Medicine Education (ATSDR)
  Environmental medicine education products present current environmental medicine content drawn from peer-reviewed medical literature. These products are accredited for free continuing education.
• Health Information Technology Knowledge Library (AHRQ)
  In an effort to ensure that stakeholders are on the same page when talking about health IT, we have developed a series of key topic articles. Each article includes beginner-level background information on the topic, a description of current activities in this part of the field, and lessons emerging from the array of projects sponsored by AHRQ. These articles also include recommended tools and resources for individuals engaged in health IT projects.
   

Top

Drug and Food

• Training & Continuing Education Courses from the FDA
  Information on state-level resources for food investigators; online training for health professionals about the safe use of medicine and the drug regulatory process; and online courses for industry on safety and effectiveness of medical devices and exposure to radiation from medical devices.
• Make Your Calories Count: Use the Nutrition Facts Label for Health Weight Management (FDA)
  Make Your Calories Count is an interactive learning program that provides consumers with information to help plan a healthful diet while managing calorie intake. The exercises will help consumers use the food label to make decisions about which food choice is right for them. For simplicity, the program presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium).
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Online Training (NIAAA)
  NIAAA offers online training for CME/CE credit on Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much.

Top

Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Radiological Terrorism: Medical Response to Mass Casualties (CDC)
  The purpose of this training is to prepare clinicians in first receiver settings to: (1) Identify factors impacting immediate medical response to mass casualties following major types of radiological incidents, and (2) Demonstrate appropriate patient assessment, triage, treatment and disposition decision-making required during a radiological mass casualty incident.
   
• Radiation Emergency Training & Education Webcasts (CDC)
  Topics include basic components of
  • radiological population monitoring guidelines,
  • key radiation principles & procedures,
  • protective measures and evacuation and sheltering guidelines
  • signs and symptoms of radiation syndrome
  • decontamination of patients

• Video: The History of Bioterrorism (CDC)
  These videos describe the Category A diseases: smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. If these germs were used to intentionally infect people, they would cause the most illness and death. Watch these videos to learn how some of these agents have been or can be used as bioterrorist weapons.

Top

Research/Researchers

• Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams Login (NIH)
  This free, web-based course presents information about the rights and welfare of human participants in research. The tutorial is designed for those involved in conducting research involving human participants. Also see, Protecting Human Subjects Training (HRSA)
• Incorporating Cancer Clinical Trials Into Your Practice (NIH)
  A Web-based course for healthcare professionals who are new to the clinical trials research process. The course contains practical information for professionals interested in referring patients to clinical trials, or conducting clinical trials, for the first time.
• Clinical Research Training for Principal Investigators at the NIH Clinical Center
  This program responds to the federal mandate requiring human subjects protection education for research teams at the NIH Clinical Center.
• Research and Training Opportunities at the National Institutes of Health
  Information about career advancement and services, internships, and enrichment opportunities in research training.
• Quick Health Data Online Free Training
  The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women's Health provides free telephone training for the Quick Health Data Online system.
• National Human Genome Research Institute Training Programs
  The National Human Genome Research Institute provides a wide range of programs aimed at furthering the professional training and career development of students, educators, health professionals and research scientists. This page describes the various training and educational opportunities available for individuals at various stages of their careers.
• Stem Cell Training Programs
  NIH provides listings of trainings of stem cell research training programs.
• Research in NIH Labs & Clinics
  Learn about NIH training opportunities, lab research support, clinical research support, computational biology, and other Federal Resources.
• Diversity Training Programs
  The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) Diversity Training Branch (DTB), leads NCI’s efforts in the training of students and investigators from diverse populations who will be part of the next generation of competitive researchers in cancer and cancer health disparities research.
• Medical Informatics Training Program
  The Lister Hill Center provides training opportunities for individuals at various stages in their careers.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Training and Career Development
  Information about the training programs and grant mechanisms for students and researchers.
• Extramural Training Mechanisms grants and Fellowships
  Funding opportunities for training programs.
  

The HHS Careers page at http://www.hhs.gov/careers/index.html provides information about employment opportunities, including federal jobs, student internships, fellowships, etc. There is also information about:

• Where Can I Work?
• Find and Apply for Jobs

Birth, death, and marriage certificates are issued by state government vital records offices. To obtain a certificate if you were born in the US, you will need to contact the vital records office in the state where the event occurred. To find state vital records offices, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm.

If you are foreign-born, but are a US Citizen, information is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/foreign.htm

If you have any questions about a document issued by a state government vital records office, please contact that office for further assistance.