On February 13, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a major reorganization of senior leadership, with Chris Klomp, director of Medicare and deputy administrator of CMS, placed in charge of overseeing all department operations while retaining his CMS roles1
Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart are exiting their positions and will be offered other roles within the administration12
Klomp has led drug price negotiations using authority from the Inflation Reduction Act and improved cost controls for Medicare Advantage1
New senior counselors include Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham from the FDA, and John Brooks from CMS, who will maintain their current roles while coordinating policy between the secretary and HHS agencies1
HHS Chief of Staff Matt Buckham and Ken Callahan were named senior counselors for operations and personnel, and policy respectively14
The reshuffle aims to strengthen focus on Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' priorities including drug affordability, dietary guidelines, and artificial food dye elimination ahead of the midterm elections12
The White House directed the changes to overcome reported dysfunction at the agency attributed to poor management2
Sources:
1. https://www.pharmexec.com/view/hhs-secretary-health-rfk-jr-revises-agency-leadership-team-report
2. https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/13/hhs-leadership-changes-rfk-jr-hhs-midterm-elections/
4. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/12/rfk-jr-shakes-up-leadership-team-00779554