Summary
As the second Trump Administration gets to work, the individuals tasked with leading various
departments will be crucial to driving the President’s policy agenda. This memo provides an overview of
the potential priorities and backgrounds of the personnel picked to lead the operating divisions within the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz. We also include
individuals tapped to lead health care work at the White House Domestic Policy Council and the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
The individuals described in this memo and their anticipated positions include:
• Stephanie Carlton – CMS Chief of Staff
• John Brooks – CMS Chief Operating Officer
• Drew Snyder – Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services
• Chris Klomp – Director of the Center for Medicare
• Alec Aramanda – Deputy Director of the Center for Medicare
• Abe Sutton – Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)
• Heather Flick – HHS Chief of Staff
• Don Dempsey – OMB Program Associate Director for Health Care Programs
• Theo Merkel – Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
Next Steps. CMS is currently being overseen by President Trump’s transition team, led by John Brooks.
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for the nominee to lead the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on January 29, 2025. Following Kennedy’s
hearing, the committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Dr. Oz. It is possible that the heads of operating
divisions will not be officially put into position until Kennedy and Dr. Oz are confirmed for CMS and Russell
Vought is confirmed for OMB, but the timing is not yet clear. None of the individuals included in this memo
will require a Senate confirmation hearing.