Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives for a meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy informed the two leaders of the health screening task force that they were being immediately removed from their appointments, years before the end of their terms.
Dr. John Wong and Dr. Isa Davis chaired the US Preventive Services Task Force, which was formed in the 1980s to include experts who examine the latest evidence in clinical preventive services to improve the health of Americans.
The influential health group also helps millions of Americans determine when insurance should provide free and preventive care like mammograms and colonoscopies.
Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services left several topics up in the air, such as a long-overdue update on cervical cancer screening, after the administration adjourned the task force indefinitely.
What we don’t know:
Notifications issued by the paper on May 11 did not explain why the two were being removed, but said their “leadership, contributions and expertise” helped improve the health of Americans and encouraged them to reapply.
What will happen next:
Last month, Secretary Kennedy told lawmakers that he wanted to reform the task force, which he described as “deficient” due to the low number of meetings.
Some health experts believed Kennedy was looking to replace the panel with less experienced political appointees, as he has done with a key vaccine advisory committee.
