What is the National Institute of Health?
Dennis AuBuchon
January 22, 2010
The National Institute of Health is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary agency for conducting and supporting medical research. This institute is comprised of 27 institutes and centers and provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world. The scientists who are part of this organization investigate ways to prevent disease as well as the causes, treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases. Below is a list of the institutes and centers that are part of this institute. Their names identify the focus of each of them
National Cancer Institute
National Eye Institute
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute of Nursing Research
National Library of Medicine
Center for Information Technology
Center for Scientific Review
John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Center on Minority and Health Disparities
National Center for Research Resources
NIH Clinical Center
The above is a long list of institutes and centers that are part of the National Health Institute. What amazes me is that this is just a small part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The variety and scope of these institutes and centers are huge and play an integral part of the health of our nation. The National Institute of Health traces its roots to the creation of the laboratory of Hygiene at the Maine Hospital in Staten Island, New York. This occurred in 1798. Each of these institutes and centers has their own mission as part of this organization and each is important. The headquarters for the Director and the institutes and centers is located in Bethesda, Maryland.
It is important to also identify that this agency is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the nation. The overall mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extent healthy life and reduce the burden of illness and disability.
Along with the mission of this institute and the institutes and centers which are part of this organization have goals they strive to achieve. These are listed below:
Foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nationīs capacity to protect and improve health.
Develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will assure the Nationīs capability to prevent disease.
Expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nationīs economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research.
Exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific, integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science.
The above goals are worthy ones for this agency to achieve and with the various institutes and centers they strive to achieve them. One important point to mention in the last goal identified above involve the principles of integrity and public accountability. Integrity and public accountability are something that is needed in all government operations including local, state and federal.
Goals are important to identify for any government institution but to strive to have integrity and public accountability says volumes about this institute. While goals are sometimes not easily achieved and mistakes are sometimes made to strive for these principles is important and sends a message to the public in how they intend to operate. Granted there is a long list of institutes and agencies under this institute but each has a vital role in achieving the mission and the goals identified above. The National Institute of Health is only a small part of the Department of Health and Human Services but what they provide is critical to improving the health of our nation. The public and the resources this institute provides to researchers benefit greatly by its existence.
National Cancer Institute
National Eye Institute
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute of Nursing Research
National Library of Medicine
Center for Information Technology
Center for Scientific Review
John E. Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Center on Minority and Health Disparities
National Center for Research Resources
NIH Clinical Center
The above is a long list of institutes and centers that are part of the National Health Institute. What amazes me is that this is just a small part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The variety and scope of these institutes and centers are huge and play an integral part of the health of our nation. The National Institute of Health traces its roots to the creation of the laboratory of Hygiene at the Maine Hospital in Staten Island, New York. This occurred in 1798. Each of these institutes and centers has their own mission as part of this organization and each is important. The headquarters for the Director and the institutes and centers is located in Bethesda, Maryland.
It is important to also identify that this agency is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the nation. The overall mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extent healthy life and reduce the burden of illness and disability.
Along with the mission of this institute and the institutes and centers which are part of this organization have goals they strive to achieve. These are listed below:
Foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nationīs capacity to protect and improve health.
Develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will assure the Nationīs capability to prevent disease.
Expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nationīs economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research.
Exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific, integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science.
The above goals are worthy ones for this agency to achieve and with the various institutes and centers they strive to achieve them. One important point to mention in the last goal identified above involve the principles of integrity and public accountability. Integrity and public accountability are something that is needed in all government operations including local, state and federal.
Goals are important to identify for any government institution but to strive to have integrity and public accountability says volumes about this institute. While goals are sometimes not easily achieved and mistakes are sometimes made to strive for these principles is important and sends a message to the public in how they intend to operate. Granted there is a long list of institutes and agencies under this institute but each has a vital role in achieving the mission and the goals identified above. The National Institute of Health is only a small part of the Department of Health and Human Services but what they provide is critical to improving the health of our nation. The public and the resources this institute provides to researchers benefit greatly by its existence.
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