Over the past several days, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced several job shakeups, vacancies, and empty appointments that paint a picture of a department shifting and recalibrating after almost a year of leadership under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Most notably, the Deputy Health Secretary and Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jim O’Neill, will leave his current role. Kennedy appointed O’Neill to lead the CDC in August 2025 after the messy firing of Susan Monarez, PhD.
O’Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart, JD, who will also leave his current position, are said to be moving to other roles in the administration.
O’Neill oversaw controversial vaccine changes
O’Neill was not confirmed by the Senate, and he heavily promoted Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement at the CDC. Under O’Neill, the CDC announced controversial changes to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule last month.
Kennedy also announced late last week that Chris Klomp, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will now be in charge of overseeing all HHS operations.
Anonymous sources told Politico that the moves come ahead of the midterms, and are an acknowledgement by President Donald Trump that health care affordability is a major issue for voters. Klomp was a key player in Trump’s plan to lower prescription drug prices.
“We are restoring accountability, challenging entrenched interests, and putting the health of the American people first. I am proud to elevate battle-tested, principled leaders onto my immediate team—individuals with the courage and experience to help us move faster and go further as we work to Make America Healthy Again,” said Kennedy in a statement announcing the changes.
The moves also suggest a need for more stability after a year of bad publicity for the CDC, including leadership infighting and high-profile stories, including a gunman’s attack on the CDC, protest resignations among leadership, and a large West Texas measles outbreak that kicked off the worst year for measles activity in the United States in 30 years.
16 of 27 NIH institutions lack directors
In related news, NBC reported yesterday that 16 of the 27 institutions that make up the National Institutes of Health are now without directors.
The vacancies come from resignations, retirements, and firings under NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD.
In a statement to NBC, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said, “NIH is committed to filling all Director positions and advisory panels with the most highly qualified and meritorious individuals, ensuring expert representation to address the chronic disease epidemic and uphold gold-standard science.”
NIH has been a non-partisan force in the United States for 139 years, with directors working under multiple presidential administrations. But sources told NBC they fear that the current vacancies will be filled by people who will openly promote Kennedy’s MAHA agenda.
“I’m not confident that their appointments will be with the institute’s mission in mind.
“I’m not confident that their appointments will be with the institute’s mission in mind,” said Shiv Prasad, PhD, a scientific review officer at NIH. “I think you’re just there to be compliant with whatever the HHS secretary wants done.”
