Secretary Alex Azar issued the following statement on the retirement of Joanne Chiedi, the Department's Acting Inspector General (effective December 31):

"Joanne Chiedi has been a respected and valued member of the HHS team since 2010, and I appreciate her selfless contributions to HHS and the American people during her 37 years of federal service. Joanne has provided insightful and effective leadership expertise during her time at OIG, first as the Deputy Inspector General for Management and Policy, then as Principal Deputy Inspector General in 2013. In June, she assumed the role of Acting IG and continued to make responsible, conscientious decisions in support of millions of HHS program beneficiaries and taxpayers. I have seen first-hand the significant impact the organization has made under Joanne's leadership. From work to revise the Anti-Kickback Statute's regulations to promote value-based arrangements and care coordination, to the creation of the first Chief Data Office in the IG community, the agency has made significant strides on many fronts under her watch. Joanne and the entire OIG workforce should be proud of their achievements."