HHS Realigns Health Technology Leadership to Advance Data and AI Goals

The Department of Health and Human Services announced it would reverse changes made during the Biden Administration and realign its health technology leadership to strengthen data sharing, affordability, and responsible use of artificial intelligence across the health care system. The change reverts the name of the technology agency back to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and moves some of its leadership back to previous departments within HHS, namely, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The move seeks to restore a unified, department wide technology model by returning enterprise IT, data, and AI leadership to the OCIO, while refocusing the ONC on interoperability, standards, and data liquidity. HHS officials say the changes will improve coordination between policy and operations, support secure and scalable technology platforms, and help accelerate innovation that lowers costs and improves care for patients.