Dive Brief:

• The HHS is undergoing a major restructuring, placing oversight of technology, data and artificial intelligence under an existing office that manages healthcare information technology.
• Along with assuming a larger tech role, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, or ONC, will be renamed the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, or ASTP/ONC. 
• The HHS 405(d) Program, a partnership between the health sector and the federal government on cybersecurity, will also move from the Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, consolidating the department’s healthcare cybersecurity work.

Dive Insight: 

HHS’ reorganization comes as cybersecurity becomes an increasingly pressing problem for healthcare organizations and interest in AI — as well as questions about how best to regulate the technology — grow. 

The healthcare industry has already faced significant cyberattacks this year, including a major incident at UnitedHealth-owned technology firm and claims processor Change Healthcare. That attack disrupted critical industry operations for weeks, including payments to providers.

AI has also become a hot-button issue for healthcare. Technology giants such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Oracle have launched AI tools geared toward the industry, including generative AI products meant to lessen administrative work.

The technology is also driving a large portion of investment in the startup ecosystem. About 1 in 3 dollars invested in the first half of the year went to digital health startups that leveraged AI, according to a report published early this month by venture capital firm and consultancy Rock Health. 

However, some experts and legislators have raised concerns about the lack of oversight and potential harms that could arise from careless or rushed AI rollouts, including errors or biases that worsen health inequities.

The revamp at the HHS is meant to reflect these new opportunities for data and technology in healthcare, as well as the challenges the sector faces, the department said. 

Historically, that policy and operations work was distributed across the ONC, the ASA and ASPR, according to a press release.

But now, oversight of technology, data, and AI policy and strategy will move from ASA to the newly renamed ASTP/ONC. The ASTP/ONC will also establish an Office of the Chief Technology Officer.

The office will include the CTO role, as well as an Office of the Chief AI Officer, Office of the Chief Data Officer and a new Office of Digital Services. The HHS is currently searching for a chief technology officer, a position that has been vacant for several years. 

“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,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

Micky Tripathi, who has led the ONC since 2021, will head up the newly renamed ASTP/ONC. He also currently holds the acting chief AI officer position.

The agency has already played an “informal role” in shaping the HHS’ technology and data policy, and the changes will help the government streamline its health IT work, Tripathi wrote in a blog post. 

The HHS is now on the hunt for a permanent AI chief, as well as a chief data officer. The AI head will set AI policy and strategy for HHS, coordinate the department’s approach to the technology in the healthcare sector and set internal governance policies around AI use. 

The chief data officer will oversee data governance and policy development at the HHS, support data exchange and manage the department’s data assets, according to the release.