Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted his chief of staff and a deputy chief of staff in the latest personnel moves at the federal healthcare agency.
A HHS spokesperson confirmed that RFK Jr. made a leadership change within the Immediate Office of the Secretary.
RFK Jr.’s chief of staff, Heather Flick Melanson, and deputy chief of staff for policy Hannah Anderson left HHS after only a handful of months on the job, following internal clashes that culminated in both of their removals this week, CNN reported.
After CNN’s story published, the media outlet reported that Flick Melanson said in an email, “It’s simple. I was not fired. I resigned.” Anderson did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Flick Melanson and Anderson were seen as steady and effective government veterans, The New York Times reported.
Effective immediately, Matt Buckham will serve as acting Chief of Staff, the HHS spokesperson said.
Buckham currently serves as the Secretary’s White House Liaison at HHS, where he oversees the recruitment and onboarding of political appointees across the agency.
“He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,” according to the HHS spokesperson.
“Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr. Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again,” the spokesperson said.
RFK Jr. has been rapidly reshaping the agency during the first six months of the Trump administration. He has moved ahead with his plan to lay off about 20,000 staff members from the health department and trim down 28 divisions to 15.
He’s also made major changes to U.S. vaccine policies. In late May, RFK Jr. announced the HHS would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and healthy pregnant people, bypassing the typical vaccine recommendation process.
In June, RFK Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the ACIP and replaced them with a group of eight advisors, including one who has already stepped down and others who have expressed their anti-vaccine views.
His office also abruptly called off a meeting of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) scheduled for earlier this month, as many healthcare experts are concerned about potential political interference that could sideline independent experts.
RFK Jr. also vowed to find the cause of autism by September. In April, he attributed the rise in autism rates to environmental toxins and said the HHS would commission studies in the next two to three weeks to find the toxin at large.
The HHS also moving forward with President Donald Trump’s deregulation agenda with plans to pull 10 or more regulations for every new one that is introduced.
RFK Jr. formed the Make America Healthy Again Commission and released a report in May outlining the government’s target areas for addressing childhood chronic disease with a focus on diet, environmental chemical exposure, physical activity/stress and “overmedicalization.”
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