The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the publication of its Living HHS Open Data Plan and the rollout of a refreshed HealthData.gov website marking a transformative milestone in the Department’s commitment to transparency, innovation, and data-driven decision-making.

“Since the Trump Administration began, HHS has more than tripled the number of datasets on HealthData.gov—from approximately 3,000 in January 2025 to over 10,000 today,” said Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, who leads technology and innovation programs at the agency. “Using data, AI, and regulatory reform, HHS will increase public transparency and leverage information to Make America Healthy Again.”

These initiatives, led by the HHS Chief Data Officer (CDO), align with the OPEN Government Data Act and the broader goals of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (Evidence Act) signed by President Trump in January 2019.

“Open Data will serve as the foundation for radical transparency, innovation, accountability, and public trust,” said Dr. Kristen Honey, HHS Chief Data Officer (CDO). “HHS Open Data is not just about numbers; it’s about empowering people, fostering trust, and driving real-world impact.”

The Living HHS Open Data Plan will continue to be refined to empower stakeholders with HHS data with the goal of delivering improved services, maximizing the nation’s return on Federal investment through public transparency.

The refreshed HealthData.gov website features improved data quantity, enhanced data quality, and three new HHS assets for public use: the HHS Open Data Plan (Version 1.0), the HHS Metadata Standard (Version 1.0), and the HHS Data Inventory (Version 1.0). These resources constitute the most united, data-driven collective in HHS history by unifying formerly siloed Divisions under one HHS umbrella, connected across nested scales of interoperability and data sharing. This more unified HHS approach will benefit researchers, policymakers, and citizens with high-value, machine-readable datasets to drive scientific breakthroughs, innovation, increase operational efficiency, and inform emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

A New Era of Open Data

Under the leadership of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his directive for radical transparency at HHS, the agency is committed to lead in the Federal Open Data ecosystem through the interagency Federal CDO Council, HealthData.gov, and Department-wide collaborations to responsibly share HHS data. All of HHS is embracing a culture of “open by default” to foster collaboration and eliminate silos across divisions.

The Living Open Data Plan on GitHub introduces a dynamic, modular approach to data management, fostering collaboration and eliminating silos across HHS operating divisions. Co-authored and co-created with input from all HHS Operating Divisions and Staff Divisions, the Living Open Data Plan is united by shared values of transparency, purpose, relentless optimization, excellence, respect, and integrity that are foundational to the Open Data community.

HHS Open Data: Respecting Privacy, Driving Impact

HHS is entrusted with safeguarding the personal data of millions of Americans, including patients and clinicians, and is committed to honoring that trust by protecting privacy while delivering measurable value. Through its Open Data approach, HHS aims to demystify and encourage the US healthcare system to leverage high-quality data to create innovative ecosystems that benefit patients—all while exercising the highest standards of privacy protection. The HHS Open Data community will accomplish this by working with the public to:

- Eliminate silos to reduce redundancies and enhance operational efficiency across divisions.

- Fuel innovation by providing researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers with access to high-value datasets that catalyze advancements in science, technology, and public health.

- Accelerate scientific breakthroughs by using real-world data to inform evidence-based research and policy decisions.

- Maximize taxpayers’ ROI to ensure every taxpayer dollar spent on data collection delivers measurable benefits to the American people.

- Fuel public-private partnerships to foster collaboration across sectors, solve real-world challenges, and deliver measurable impact with greater efficiency.

- Engage the public to collaboratively “co-create” by providing input and feedback to ensure the Living HHS Open Data Plan is constantly improving.

- The HHS CDO will update the HHS Open Data Plan within four months of its initial publication. Citizens are encouraged to contribute feedback and suggestions via the HHS GitHub repository: https://github.com/HHS/living-hhs-open-data-plan.