Secretary Kennedy Announces New Appointments to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 17, 2026 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), today announced the addition of eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

The new members possess substantial expertise in reviewing scientific evidence related to the effectiveness and appropriateness of clinical preventive services. They bring a breadth and depth of medical knowledge, decades of clinical experience, and intellectual and personal leadership that will benefit the Task Force and the American people they will serve. The new members will join the eight members currently serving on the Task Force.

"Prevention is one of our most powerful tools for confronting chronic disease. The Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations influence preventive care across America, and Americans deserve recommendations grounded in rigorous, objective science," said Secretary Kennedy. "We are strengthening the Task Force to ensure it asks hard questions, follows the evidence wherever it leads, and maintains the highest standards of scientific integrity."

"We are excited to welcome these new members to the Task Force," said AHRQ Director Roger D. Klein, M.D., J.D. "Each brings valuable expertise and a unique perspective to the Task Force as it develops recommendations that help people live longer, healthier lives."

The new appointees are:

Seth J. Corey, M.D., M.P.H. (Chair), is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist in the Departments of Pediatrics and Heart, Blood, and Kidney Research at Cleveland Clinic and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and a professor of molecular medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He has 41 years of experience providing care for children and young adults. Dr. Corey was appointed to the Task Force for his clinical expertise and his deep experience in generating, analyzing, and assessing medical evidence.

Patrick K. Hunter, M.D., M.Sc.,is a pediatrician at Pensacola Pediatrics, assistant clinical professor at Florida State University, and a member of the Florida State Board of Medicine. He has 34 years of experience caring for patients from infancy through early adulthood. Dr. Hunter was appointed to the Task Force for his dedication to improving the health of children and adolescents, especially those in rural communities, his experience analyzing and assessing evidence, his bioethics knowledge, and his many years of implementing clinical guidelines into practice.

Ronald P. Karlsberg, M.D., is a clinical professor of medicine at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, president and co-founder of the National Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Innovation, and managing partner of the Cardiovascular Medical Group of Southern California. He has 48 years of experience providing cardiovascular care. Dr. Karlsberg was appointed to the Task Force for his expertise in heart disease prevention, evidence-based screening and risk assessment, and translation of clinical evidence into patient care.

Venkatesh L. Murthy, M.D., Ph.D., is the Melvyn Rubenfire professor of preventive cardiology in the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, with 14 years of experience providing cardiovascular care. Dr. Murthy was appointed to the Task Force for his expertise in heart disease prevention and medical imaging, his experience generating, analyzing, and assessing medical evidence, and his knowledge of the use of artificial intelligence and other new approaches to improve screening and risk assessment.

Stephen T. Parente, Ph.D., is the Minnesota Insurance Industry Chair of Health Finance, director of the Medical Industry MBA program, associate dean of the Carlson Global Institute, and professor in the department of finance at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He has 31 years of experience in healthcare research and policy. Dr. Parente was appointed to the Task Force for his expertise in evaluating the cost and value of healthcare services and technologies and their impacts on patients and the delivery of care.

Goldie Stands-Over-Bull, M.D., is the lead family medicine physician at Texas Native Health. She has four years of experience providing comprehensive care to Native American patients of all ages, from newborns to the elderly, across rural and urban settings. Dr. Stands-Over-Bull was appointed to the Task Force for her expertise in evidence implementation in primary care, women's health, adolescent medicine, and chronic disease management.

Louis J. Wilson, M.D.,is an internist specializing in gastroenterology, hepatology, and clinical nutrition, managing partner of Wichita Falls Gastroenterology Associates, section chief for Gastroenterology in the Department of Medicine at United Regional Healthcare System, and medical director at Digestive Health Research of North Texas. He has 29 years of experience providing care to patients with gastrointestinal disease and related conditions. Dr. Wilson was appointed to the Task Force for his expertise in disease prevention and early detection and his experience evaluating and implementing clinical evidence and providing evidence-based patient care.

Dennis W. Wulfeck, M.D., M.B.A., D.H.A.,is a diagnostic radiologist and president of the practice board at RadPartners MBB Radiology. He has 33 years of experience in diagnostic imaging and disease detection. Dr. Wulfeck was appointed to the Task Force for his expertise in modeling screening approaches and research designs and his experience applying evidence-based recommendations to enhance preventive care.

Complete biographies of all Task Force members are available on the Task Force website.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is a volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that works to improve the health of people nationwide by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screenings, counseling, and preventive medications.