Health and Human Services announces tech, data, AI, and cyber reorganization
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a reshuffle of its technology, data, AI and cybersecurity responsibilities Thursday, mainly moving portfolios from the Assistant Secretary for Administration to other components.
Under the new organization, the departmentwide chief technology, data and AI officer roles will move from the Assistant Secretary for Administration — which houses the Office of the Chief Information Officer — to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The latter office, known as ONC, will also get the additional title of Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and its updated abbreviation will be ASTP/ONC, according to the announcement.
Meanwhile, the 405(d) Program, which coordinates efforts between the health sector and federal government on cybersecurity, will move from the Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
The department said the reorganization would “clarify and consolidate these critical functions,” and in a statement provided in the release, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said the new structure “prepares the Department for the challenges that lie ahead.”
Becerra called cybersecurity, data, and AI “some of the most pressing issues facing the health care space today” and said the department needs to be “agile, accountable, and strategic to meet the needs of this moment.”
The reorganization will establish an Office of the Chief Technology Officer under ASTP/ONC and “reinstitute” the role of a CTO, according to the announcement. The CTO role has been unfilled since Ed Simcox departed in 2020. That office “will oversee department-level and cross-agency technology, data, and AI strategy and policy” and house the CAIO and CDO roles, in addition to a new Office of Digital Services.
Micky Tripathi, the current national coordinator for health IT and acting CAIO, will have the added title of assistant secretary for technology policy. Tripathi was recently named as acting CAIO, FedScoop reported, taking over the role from Greg Singleton. That change complied with the White House’s recent memo on AI, which required agencies to designate CAIOs at the executive level.
According to the announcement, the new ASTP/ONC is also looking to fill the chief technology, AI and data officer roles. Similar to the CAIO, the department’s CDO role is currently being carried out on an acting basis by Mahnaz Dean. The ASTP/ONC is hosting a webinar about those roles Aug. 1.
