What You Should Know
- The Reversal: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is officially reversing a controversial 2024 reorganization that consolidated major enterprise technology roles under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).
- The Name Change: The 2024 initiative dually titled the ONC as the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC). That dual title is dead. The office returns to its original, singular moniker: the ONC.
- The C-Suite Shift: The roles of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), and Chief Data Officer (CDO)—along with specific cybersecurity functions—are being moved out of the ONC and shifted back under the leadership of the HHS Chief Information Officer (OCIO), currently led by Clark Minor.
Why HHS Just Stripped AI and Cyber Operations Out of the ONC
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is officially reversing a July 2024 Biden-era reorganization of its technology leadership. The move strips away the dual-title structure of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and shifts major enterprise technology roles—specifically regarding AI, data, and cybersecurity—back under the purview of the HHS Chief Information Officer (CIO).
The goal of this realignment is to create a more unified IT infrastructure while allowing the ONC to strictly focus on its core mission: health IT policy, standards, and interoperability.
Key Structural Changes
- Reverting the ONC Title: The 2024 reorganization dually titled the ONC as the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC). That dual title has been eliminated, restoring the office to its original, singular title: the ONC.
- Transfer of the “C-Suite” Tech Roles: The roles of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), and Chief Data Officer (CDO) are being moved out of the ONC and shifted back under the leadership of the HHS Chief Information Officer (OCIO).
- Cybersecurity Realignment: Specific cybersecurity functions that had been moved out of the OCIO in 2024 are being returned to the office.
The New Division of Responsibilities
1. Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Led by HHS CIO Clark Minor, the OCIO will serve as the enterprise “backbone” for cloud, cybersecurity, data, and AI across all HHS components. The office is now organized around three core functions:
- Strategic Technology & Innovation: Led by the CTO.
- Responsible AI: Led by the CAIO.
- Enterprise Data Governance & Analytics: Led by the CDO.
2. Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Led by National Coordinator Dr. Thomas Keane, the ONC will continue to operate as a staff division reporting directly to the HHS Secretary. Freed from broader enterprise IT management, the ONC will concentrate heavily on:
- Nationwide health IT interoperability and data liquidity.
- Health IT policy, standards, and certification.
- Leading the coordination of artificial intelligence specifically within clinical care.
The Strategic Goal
According to HHS leadership, this separation of powers—where the OCIO builds and secures the infrastructure and the ONC sets the health tech policy—will allow the department to move faster. HHS hopes to drive “true data liquidity” across the US healthcare system by streamlining how AI and data capabilities are deployed, ensuring medical information is accessible when needed to improve patient outcomes and lower costs.
