E-News Exclusive

HHS Reorganizes Technology, Cybersecurity, Data, and Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Policy Functions

Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a reorganization that will streamline and bolster technology, cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and policy functions.

Opportunities in data and technology in health care and human services have grown significantly in recent years. Historically, responsibility for policy and operations has been distributed across the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). This reorganization will clarify and consolidate these critical functions, as follows:

• ONC will be renamed the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC);

• oversight over technology, data, and AI policy and strategy will move from ASA to ASTP/ONC, including the HHS-wide roles of chief technology officer, chief data officer, and chief AI officer; and

• the public-private effort between the health sector and the federal government on cybersecurity (“405(d) Program”) will move from ASA to ASPR, joining the other health sector cybersecurity activities already located in ASPR’s Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection, and advancing the department’s one-stop-shop approach to health care cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence are some of the most pressing issues facing the health care space today. As a department, HHS must be agile, accountable, and strategic to meet the needs of this moment,” says HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “For decades, HHS has worked across the organization to ensure appropriate and safe use of technology, data, and AI to advance the health and well-being of the American people. This reorganization builds on that success and prepares the department for the challenges that lie ahead.”

While the office will continue as a staff division within HHS, ASTP/ONC will have increased responsibilities to support this broader mission, reflecting the new staff and funding transitioning into the division. ASTP/ONC will establish an Office of the Chief Technology Officer and reinstitute the role of chief technology officer, which will oversee department-level and cross-agency technology, data, and AI strategy and policy, including the Office of the Chief AI Officer, Office of the Chief Data Officer, and a new Office of Digital Services.

The chief AI officer will do the following:

• set AI policy and strategy for the department;
• establish internal governance, policies, and risk management approaches for uses of AI internal to HHS;
• coordinate HHS’s AI approach in the health and human services sectors;
• support the safe and appropriate use of AI technologies and tools across the department; and
• coordinate AI-related talent and training initiatives.

The chief data officer will do the following:

• continue to oversee data governance and policy development;
• drive data literacy and data talent initiatives;
• manage the HHS data strategy;
• support data collaboration and exchange; and
• manage HHS’s data as a strategic asset for the department.

National Coordinator Micky Tripathi will be named assistant secretary for technology policy/national coordinator for health information technology. In response to the President’s Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI, Tripathi has also been named the department’s acting chief AI officer. ASTP/ONC has launched a search to fill the permanent positions of chief technology officer, chief AI officer, and chief data officer to build dedicated talent for this vital team.

“ONC already plays a critical role in health IT across our agencies and industry. This reorganization builds on those capabilities to advance all our strategic, mission-focused technology, data, and AI policies and activities,” says HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm. “These organizational changes will ensure that HHS is best situated to serve the American people during this incredibly dynamic time in the technology space.”

Additional information about this organizational change can be found on the Federal Register.

— Source: Health and Human Services