Patrick Newbold will be joining the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) component as its new chief information officer (CIO) and director of the Office of Information Technology.
Newbold confirmed the move in an Oct. 30 LinkedIn post. He will be leaving his current role as deputy CIO at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) where he has been working since January.
The permanent CMS CIO has been open since November 2023 after Rajiv Uppal left to become CIO at the Internal Revenue Service.
“It has been an honor to support NASA’s mission of returning humans to the Moon and sending astronauts to Mars,” said Newbold in his post. “Leading IT strategies to enable these historic goals has been a humbling experience, and I am proud of the strides we’ve made to ensure technology plays a critical role in the future of space exploration.”
Newbold joined NASA after serving as the deputy CIO and acting CIO for more than two years in total at the Social Security Administration. He also worked as the deputy CIO with the Army Corps of Engineers from 2019 to 2021.
“This latest chapter presents an opportunity to continue driving transformative change, now focused on the vital mission of improving healthcare for millions of Americans,” said Newbold. “CMS is dedicated to advancing health equity, improving health outcomes, expanding access to care, and ensuring the affordability and sustainability of healthcare.”
“I’m eager to lead efforts that will harness the power of technology to support these goals – whether by strengthening our digital infrastructure, enhancing data security, or enabling more equitable access to critical healthcare services,” he continued.
Newbold’s hire fills one of several open CIO positions across HHS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response are currently seeking CIOs.
Newbold received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Bethune-Cookman University, Master of Science degrees in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, and Legislative Affairs from Georgetown University. He also serves as an alternate board member for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) Board.
