(US and Canada) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has appointed Dr. Meghan Dierks as the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer for the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC).

Over her three-decade career, Dierks has been at the forefront of developing and implementing advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning solutions in healthcare. Her leadership spans industry, academia, government, and healthcare delivery organizations.

In her new role, Dierks will define AI policy and strategy for the department, establish governance, policies, and risk management for internal AI applications, coordinate HHS’s AI approach in health and human services, support safe and ethical AI use across the department, and oversee AI-related talent development and training initiatives.

“Our goal is to advance human potential within HHS and across the larger healthcare system through responsible AI—from generating evidence-based insights and enhancing capabilities to accelerating scientific discovery and transforming service delivery,” Dierks shared in her LinkedIn post.

Previously, Dierks served as the Chief Data Officer of San Francisco-based healthcare software company Komodo Health, where she led the company’s data strategy and governance while advancing innovative solutions, including generative AI applications. She has also held leadership roles at GE Healthcare (Digital Technology & IT), Magellan Health, and Lumeris Health Outcomes, while providing advisory services to Verily and Google’s healthcare technology initiatives.

Dierks earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University, an MD from the University of Texas Health Science Center, and completed surgical residency at Washington University and Lahey Clinic. She pursued graduate studies and postdoctoral training in Biomedical Informatics at MIT.