0530 Health & Human Services Agency, Secy
Program Descriptions

10 - SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The Secretary for California Health and Human Services Agency provides the Governor with the highest level of advice on state health, human services and related budget policy issues. The Secretary also provides the highest level of leadership and oversight of the agency-wide efforts to promote the health and well being of a growing and increasingly diverse California population.

21 - THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION INTEGRITY

The California Office of Health Information Integrity, under the direction of the Deputy Secretary, Health Information Exchange, is responsible for the coordination and oversight of state departments' implementation of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements, development of standards for secure electronic health information exchange, and enforcement of California's health and medical privacy laws in conjunction and collaboration with the Department of Public Health. Additionally, the Office is responsible for oversight, administration, and reporting of California's health information exchange cooperative agreement funded by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and awarded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CalOHII serves as the convening organization for statewide collaboration and coordination of health information exchange and HITECH funded programs statewide.

30 - OFFICE OF SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

This Office provides project management services for automation projects for the Health and Human Services Agency, the Department of Social Services, the Health Benefit Exchange, and the Employment Development Department, including:
  • Child Welfare Services/Case Management System
  • Statewide Automated Welfare System
  • Statewide Fingerprint Imaging System
  • Electronic Benefit Transfer System
  • Case Management, Information and Payrolling System
  • Unemployment Insurance Modernization Project
  • California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment and Retention System Project.

40 - OFFICE OF THE PATIENT ADVOCATE

The California Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) has the responsibility to help Californians secure health care services to which they are entitled or for which they are eligible. OPA provides consumer assistance and educational materials to inform individuals on their rights and responsibilities and provides other health care resources. OPA annually produces the California Health Care Quality Report Card. OPA is also charged with the responsibility to collect and analyze data on consumer complaints about health care services and coverage from multiple state departments and to report those findings.