RFK Jr.’s Top Deputy, Acting CDC Director Departs Health Agencies

No explanation of Jim O'Neill’s exit has been made public.

Jim O'Neill (L) is sworn in by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the deputy health secretary, in Washington on June 9, 2025. Amy Rossetti/Department of Health and Human Services via AP

The top deputy to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was also acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is no longer serving in those roles.

Jim O'Neill is no longer the deputy health secretary or acting CDC director, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC websites.