The Health and Human Services Department and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday the formation of an 18-member Healthcare Advisory Committee tasked with making recommendations on modernizing the U.S. health care system.

The expert advisory panel will provide guidance to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on healthcare policy matters. The committee's formation comes as the department works to implement new health initiatives under the current administration.

Meanwhile, Kennedy is facing implementation challenges with certain aspects of his health policy agenda. Court proceedings have resulted in blocks to some proposed changes to vaccine scheduling protocols that the administration had sought to implement.

The secretary's approach to vaccine policy has created operational difficulties within the department, according to reports. Several senior health positions remain unfilled as the administration works to staff key roles within HHS.

The Healthcare Advisory Committee represents one avenue for the department to advance policy recommendations through expert consultation. The panel's specific timeline for delivering recommendations and the scope of issues it will address have not been detailed in the initial announcement.