PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed his chief of staff and deputy chief of staff.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson, Deputy Chief of Staff Hannah Anderson, and Acting Chief of Staff Matt Buckham.
WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday, at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
IMPACT: The shakeup marks the latest leadership changes under Kennedy, who continues efforts to “Make America Healthy Again.”
IN FULL
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed his chief of staff and deputy chief of staff on July 16, continuing a series of dramatic leadership changes and policy overhauls at one of the federal government’s largest agencies.
Heather Flick Melanson and Hannah Anderson were removed from their posts as chief and deputy chief of staff, respectively, following what officials described as a “loss of confidence” in their leadership. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the dismissals and named longtime conservative operative Matt Buckham as acting chief of staff.
The move follows Kennedy’s earlier decision in June to disband the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) independent panel on vaccines.
Since taking the helm of HHS in February, Kennedy has led one of the most aggressive restructurings in the department’s history. According to reports, his office has overseen the termination of more than 10,000 federal health workers, with further layoffs planned across the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other sub-agencies.
Entire divisions—including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and several minority health offices—have been eliminated or substantially downsized, as Kennedy pivots HHS’s priorities toward environmental and chronic health concerns.
One of his first actions in office was overseeing the establishment of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission, which President Donald J. Trump created through an executive order. The commission recently published its findings on chronic disease in American children, citing excessive exposure to chemicals, overprescription of psychiatric drugs, and unhealthy diets as core contributors.
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