RFK Jr. Fires USPSTF Leaders

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the two vice chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) — John Wong, MD, of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and Esa Davis, MD, MPH, of the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

According to the letters sent to Wong and Davis, which were dated May 11 and shared with MedPage Today, Kennedy said he “directed a review of current USPSTF appointments” in order to “ensure clarity, continuity, and confidence in the Department’s exercise of its appointment and supervisory responsibilities and to protect the integrity of the Task Force’s work.”

It goes on to state that the action is “administrative in nature and is unrelated to your performance or many years of dedicated service to the Task Force.”

The letters also ask Wong and Davis to consider reapplying for membership — noting that the process closes on May 23, 2026. “Your continued participation would be highly valued,” the letters state.

In a subsequent letter to Roger Klein, MD, JD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, where USPSTF is housed, Wong and Davis called the situation “confusing” — especially the part about reapplying.

“We understand that doing so in no way guarantees re-appointment, but we take his invitation seriously and intend to consider this opportunity with great care,” they wrote. “The decision about whether or not to reapply is difficult to make, however, when the reasons for our termination … have engendered substantial confusion.”

Kennedy has long had the USPSTF in his sights. During a House hearing in April, he told lawmakers he was “reforming” the task force, calling it “lackadaisical and negligent.”

Its previous three meetings had all been cancelled, including its most recent one in March. Kennedy had abruptly cancelled the group’s July 2025 meeting, and its November 2025 meeting didn’t happen, either.

Concerns have been raised that Kennedy is trying to dismantle USPSTF much the same way he did with the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). His actions against ACIP have been blocked in court, but the legal battle continues. He has also tried to revise its charter, but those plans were recently withdrawn.

The USPSTF was created in 1984 to evaluate evidence and issue recommendations on over 90 medical topics, including cancer screening. Its recommendations help determine insurance coverage for preventive services under the Affordable Care Act.

Half of the USPSTF’s seats — eight of 16 — are now vacant, according to AcademyHealth, which has been paying close attention to the USPSTF saga. The organization noted in a statement that the “chairs who would traditionally provide independent review of new member applications are no longer in their positions.”

“With a nomination deadline for new members this Saturday and no independent review of who gets seated, the free preventive services that millions of Americans rely on could be compromised, delayed, or reversed,” the statement said.

“The Task Force’s credibility rests on a transparent, evidence-based process that has operated across administrations of both parties for four decades,” it continued. “HHS should reinstate the chairs and ensure independent review of applications before Saturday’s deadline. Congress should seek answers now. There is still time to get this right.”