US Department of Health & Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill | Future of Health Summit 2025

Strategic Vision & Prevention

• The "Make America Healthy Again" agenda shifts the healthcare system focus from "sick care" to "prevention" to address rising chronic diseases.
• Solutions emphasize better science, nutrition access, healthy food, exercise, and transparent advice over expanding hospital infrastructure.
• Restoring public trust requires "radical transparency," treating citizens as adults by providing raw data and safety records so individuals can make independent decisions.

CDC Mission & Workforce

• The CDC is being refocused on its original 1946 mission of fighting communicable and infectious diseases to reverse "mission creep."
• The department has experienced significant workforce erosion this year via voluntary separations or reduction in force, creating a need for new hires.
• Current recruitment targets include scientists, data engineers, AI engineers, and researchers to fill vacancies and support the revitalized mission.
• The department plans to deploy new tools to improve disease surveillance in the coming months.

AI & Technology Integration

• AI is being deployed internally across HHS, with a large language model rolled out to all 60,000 employees in September to assist with tasks like summarizing papers.
• The administration prioritizes speed in AI deployment for healthcare decision support, diagnosis, and care coordination over strict regulation, stating "faster is better."
• AI support is sought for external pharma drug discovery, with the aim of ensuring payers cover AI tools to prevent out-of-pocket costs for providers.
• Workforce upskilling involves hiring AI specialists and leveraging user-friendly interfaces to help current staff validate and utilize algorithms.

Drug Pricing & Industry Collaboration

• Direct voluntary price negotiations with pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly) have successfully reduced drug costs, with industry partners increasingly willing to engage.
• Future agreements aim for sustainability and encourage companies to shift supply chains to the U.S. and lower prices for broader access rather than maintaining high-cost, limited-access models.
• Success in the next 12 months includes faster drug approvals to encourage competition and the release of new, science-grounded dietary guidelines.

State Partnerships & Public Health Guidance

• Federal cooperation with states includes SNAP waivers to fund healthy food rather than junk food and shared data sets for longitudinal disease surveillance.
• States retain authority to issue regional vaccine guidance and recommendations based on local conditions, though the CDC commits to providing transparent safety and efficacy data.
• The CDC will sponsor additional safety studies for vaccines lacking extensive data and will offer updated advice distinguishing risk-benefit profiles across specific populations.

Operational Challenges & Future Outlook

• HHS staff morale is mixed during the government shutdown, with some furloughed employees feeling nervous while the Secretary's office works to reopen the government.
• Key worries for the leader include the risk of new pandemics and the public's struggle to access trustworthy health information.
• Upcoming priorities include the rollout of scientific dietary guidelines (the first update in five years) and continued collaboration with academia, industry, and think tanks to refine policy.
• Engagement with the department is encouraged via the Milken Institute, direct outreach, or recruitment applications, with an emphasis on "thinking fresh" and avoiding legacy operational constraints.