HHS Aligns AI, Tech Strategy Under its Policy Agency

The Department of Health Human Services’ reorganization Thursday consolidates technology and data strategy responsibilities to its policy office.

The shift effective immediately largely impacts the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), which is now renamed to the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and ONC (ASTP/ONC). It also includes impacts to HHS’ c-suite.

“We will expand our role by adding a fourth office, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which will include the Office of the Chief AI Officer, Office of the Chief Data Officer and a new Office of Digital Services. We are actively recruiting for these positions,” National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi wrote in a blog post. Tripathi, who also currently serves as HHS’ acting CAIO, assumes the dual role of assistant secretary for technology policy.

The digital services team will lead HHS-wide digital strategy, digital services and project teams for health programs. It will also provide strategic leadership around ethics and social matters to initiatives and the industry on novel technologies.

The 405(d) public-private cybersecurity program will move from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA) to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)’s Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection. This transition will reinforce HHS’s goal of creating a “one-stop-shop approach to health care cybersecurity” with ASPR.

The move comes while cybersecurity in the health care sector and regulating artificial intelligence become growing priorities.

“Cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence are some of the most pressing issues facing the health care space today,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. “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.”

Most recently, ONC released updates to the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) framework that enables nationwide exchange of electronic health information. The new version allows participants to join TEFCA with multiple qualified health information networks, giving patients more options and allowing flexibility when exchanging their data.

“HHS is fully embracing the importance of information technology to the department’s mission, and consolidating organizational resources accordingly, to lead and shape technology policy across the department’s broad array of external and internal activities,” Tripathi wrote in a blog post.