World February 12, 2026

HHS Announces New Senior Management Appointments as Part of Department Restructuring

Kennedy names chief counselor to oversee operations and assigns senior counselors to FDA and CMS

By Nina Shah
HHS Announces New Senior Management Appointments as Part of Department Restructuring

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disclosed changes to his senior management team in a department statement, naming Chris Klomp as chief counselor responsible for overseeing all departmental operations and appointing Kyle Diamantas, Grace Graham, and John Brooks as senior counselors to key agencies within HHS.

Key Points

  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced senior management changes in a department statement.
  • Chris Klomp appointed chief counselor to oversee all departmental operations as part of a restructuring.
  • Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham named senior counselors to the Food and Drug Administration; John Brooks named senior counselor to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
  • Affected sectors include federal healthcare administration, regulatory oversight, and public insurance programs.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a set of senior management changes on Thursday, according to an official release from the department. The statement outlined a reorganization of senior advisory roles intended to align leadership across the agency.

Under the announced reshuffle, Chris Klomp will assume the title of chief counselor and will be charged with overseeing all operations of the department as part of the restructuring. The appointment positions Klomp at the center of operational oversight, as described in the department statement.

Two appointments were made specifically to provide senior counsel to the Food and Drug Administration. Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham were both named senior counselors for the FDA, according to the same statement. Their roles were described in the release as senior-level counseling positions within the agency.

In addition, John Brooks was designated senior counselor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The department's statement listed Brooks among the senior counselors named in the announcement.

The HHS statement served as the formal vehicle to disclose all four appointments. The notice did not provide additional operational detail beyond the titles and the agencies to which the senior counselors will be assigned.


Context and next steps

The department release frames these personnel moves as part of a broader restructuring of the HHS senior management team. The announcement identifies the individuals and the offices they will counsel, but it does not elaborate on the specific responsibilities beyond the chief counselor's oversight of departmental operations.

Summary

The Health and Human Services Department announced that Chris Klomp will serve as chief counselor overseeing all departmental operations. Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham will be senior counselors to the Food and Drug Administration, and John Brooks will be senior counselor to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The appointments were disclosed in an official department statement released on Thursday.

Key points

  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced changes to senior management in a department statement.
  • Chris Klomp is named chief counselor, with oversight of all departmental operations.
  • Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham were appointed senior counselors for the Food and Drug Administration; John Brooks was named senior counselor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
  • Sectors impacted include federal healthcare administration and regulatory oversight of pharmaceuticals and public insurance programs.

Risks and uncertainties

  • The department statement provides limited detail on the precise duties and scope of authority for each new senior counselor, leaving uncertainty about operational changes.
  • The announcement does not specify timelines or implementation steps for the restructuring, creating ambiguity about when new reporting lines will take effect.
  • The statement does not disclose further information about how these appointments will affect existing teams or ongoing projects within the named agencies.

Risks

  • The department statement offers limited detail on the exact duties and authority for each appointment, leaving operational scope unclear - impacts federal healthcare administration and regulatory functions.
  • No timeline or implementation plan was provided for the restructuring, creating uncertainty about when changes will be realized - affects agency planning and market participants tracking regulatory continuity.
  • The release does not describe effects on existing teams or projects within FDA and CMS, which could lead to short-term organizational uncertainty in those agencies.

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