The Department of Health and Human Services is consolidating its artificial intelligence strategy across multiple agencies to accelerate clinical adoption, responding to more than 7,300 public comments requesting clearer governance and support. The effort shifts HHS from gathering feedback to deploying specific programs aimed at scaling clinical AI, addressing chronic care shortages and aging populations.
Consolidating agency feedback
HHS leaders outlined the department's direction during a recent webinar, distilling public input into three main priorities. Stakeholders demanded better internal coordination, clearer guidance on responsible adoption, and standardized metrics to evaluate clinical AI tools. Thomas Keane, the national coordinator for health IT, summarized the objective: "Our goal is to improve access, affordability and the impact of healthcare through technology, including AI," he said. This cross-agency coordination highlights the growing complexity of AI for Government operations, where regulatory clarity and unified strategies are critical.
ARPA-H targets cardiovascular care gaps
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is addressing a critical shortage in cardiology through its ADVOCATE program. Program manager Haider Warraich explained that nearly half of U.S. counties lack a single cardiologist, creating a bottleneck for patients needing chronic disease management.
The program aims to build an FDA-approved clinical agentic AI system capable of handling tasks ranging from scheduling to triage and medication prescribing. "The vision for ADVOCATE was really to support teams that will develop a technology that can essentially do everything a clinician can do over the phone," Warraich said. ARPA-H is currently reviewing proposals from technology, academic, and nonprofit partners to build this patient-facing system. This initiative represents a major step forward for AI for Healthcare delivery by targeting a specific, high-need clinical specialty.
Supporting independent living and caregivers
The Administration for Community Living is applying AI to help older adults and people with disabilities remain in their homes. Principal Deputy Administrator Mary Lazare said the department is exploring wearables and smart home modifications to manage safety features and daily schedules. The agency also launched a caregiver AI prize challenge to find practical tools that reduce burden without replacing human connection.
Additionally, the department's Health at Home Challenge will enter its second phase in August 2026, awarding up to $2 million to teams integrating advanced community care networks. Deputy Administrator Kelly Cronin said the agency specifically wants to support care coordination across the continuum. This funding will help accelerate tool implementation for dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
FDA develops regulatory clarity
The Food and Drug Administration is focusing on policy development to keep pace with increasingly autonomous AI systems. Rick Abramson, director of the FDA's Digital Health Center of Excellence, said the agency is working to clarify its regulatory role in both pre-market and post-market settings. Abramson stressed the need to right-size regulation based on risk and coordinate with state and international oversight bodies. He said the FDA will release ideas for public comment in the near future, signaling a push to establish clear rules for complex, agentic clinical tools.
Why this matters for healthcare professionals
HHS is moving past exploratory phases and funding specific, high-stakes AI deployments in clinical and community settings. Healthcare leaders must prepare their organizations for the integration of agentic AI into patient workflows and monitor the FDA's upcoming regulatory frameworks for autonomous tools. Understanding these new governance standards and benchmarking metrics will be essential for adopting these technologies safely and effectively.
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