Ed Simcox is stepping down as Chief Technology Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) effective Friday, Feb. 14. HHS had no information late today about who may take over on an acting basis.
He joined the agency in 2017 as Deputy CTO, and was elevated to CTO in 2018. From August 2018 to May 2019 he also served as Acting CIO, until the appointment of Jose Arietta as CIO.
Simcox will head back to the private sector, but did not specify his next landing spot. He said in a statement that he looked “forward to bringing my experiences to a growing, thriving part of the health sector.”
Prior to joining HHS, Simcox was U.S. Healthcare Practice Leader at LogicalisUS, and before that was Director at AT&T ForHealth.
“I’m excited about the next chapter,” Simcox said. “Serving the department and the American people has been an honor and privilege for which I am immensely grateful.”
“The CTO team is nothing short of incredible,” he said. “I am also humbled to have worked with the leaders and civil servants across HHS. Their dedication to mission is unrivaled in Federal government.”
“In weighing the decision to leave, I had the comfort of knowing that so much has been accomplished over the past three years in the Office of the CTO,” Simcox said. “The initiatives we lead combined with the top-notch technology consulting we provide throughout HHS have worked to usher in a culture that believes that using data, innovation, and cutting-edge technology is critical to informing policy and achieving HHS’s priorities.”
“I personally thank every member of the CTO team, both past and present, for their dedication. Going forward, I leave the office in very capable hands. I am confident that the great work the team is doing will continue to support HHS’s mission to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans.”
He also praised the agency’s CIO office team, saying, “In this role, I experienced first-hand the magnitude and complexity of Federal IT in the largest civilian agency in the world. I was again humbled by the CIO staff’s dedication and loyalty to mission. The American people can rest assured that the civil servants caring for IT and cybersecurity at HHS are doing a great job enabling and protecting HHS.”
