HHS IT leadership experiences additional shakeup

The Department of Health and Human Services has updated its IT leadership directory to include two new acting officials, as well as denote that another executive is holding his position in an acting capacity. The changes mean that six of the eight top officials in the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer are now holding at least one of their assigned roles in an acting capacity. 

According to the office’s listing of “immediate staff positions” — which was viewed by Nextgov/FCW on Tuesday — David Hong is now serving as acting deputy CIO and Arman Sharma is now identified as acting deputy chief artificial intelligence officer. Michael McFarland, who was previously named OCIO’s executive officer earlier this month, is now listed as serving in the position in an acting capacity. 

As of Feb. 2, Kevin Duvall had been listed as the office’s deputy CIO and as the acting deputy CAIO, according to a cached version of the department’s website. FedScoop first reported on the office’s leadership shakeup. 

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Duvall did not immediately respond to a LinkedIn request for comment about his apparent departure from those roles.

Clark Minor, a longtime Palantir employee, was named the department’s CIO last May. In addition to this role, HHS’ IT leadership directory also lists him as the acting CAIO. 

Like many federal agencies, HHS has experienced a major staffing shakeup during the second Trump administration. Several former HHS officials told Nextgov/FCW last April that all of OCIO’s senior executive service employees were reassigned to the Indian Health Service and that roughly half of the office’s employees were laid off. 

CNN reported on Friday that HHS is in the midst of another leadership restructuring ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with two top officials — HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart — soon expected to depart the agency.

]]>