US Health Secretary Fires Two Top Leaders in Department Shakeup

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two top leaders at the department: Heather Flick Melanson, chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff for policy. Matt Buckham, the current White House Liaison at HHS, will serve as acting chief of staff. This shakeup comes amid Kennedy's proposal to overhaul the department and cut its workforce, which was blocked by a federal judge.

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed two top leaders at the department: Heather Flick Melanson, chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff for policy. Matt Buckham, the current White House Liaison at HHS, will serve as acting chief of staff [1].

The move comes as Kennedy continues to push for a significant overhaul of the department, including substantial cuts to its workforce. This restructuring was recently blocked by a federal judge [2]. Kennedy has not yet decided on permanent replacements for Flick and Anderson [1].

Melanson and Anderson were among Kennedy’s most experienced Washington hands. Melanson served as acting general counsel and acting secretary for administration during President Donald Trump’s first term, while Anderson previously worked as a health policy advisor for the Senate Health Committee [1].

The shakeup at HHS follows Kennedy's earlier move to fire all 17 members of an independent panel of experts that advises the CDC on vaccine policy, replacing them with seven new hand-picked members [2].

The department faces growing scrutiny over its efforts to overhaul vaccine policies and advance major health and food priorities [1].

References:
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/health/rfk-hhs-aides-fired
[2] https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/US-Health-Secretary-Kennedy-fires-two-top-leaders-in-latest-department-shakeup-50526286/