HHS Announces Major Job Cuts Amid Restructuring Efforts
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed plans to eliminate approximately 10,000 full-time positions in the wake of earlier job reductions that saw nearly the same number leave the agency through voluntary buyouts and early retirement options.
Current Staffing Levels
This move will bring the agency’s total employee count down to roughly 62,000, a significant decline from the 82,000 personnel levels noted at the start of the Trump administration. HHS oversees several crucial divisions, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Purpose of the Restructuring
In a statement, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. remarked, “We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic.” He further explained that the “overhaul will be a win-win for taxpayers and for those that HHS serves. That’s the entire American public, because our goal is to Make America Healthy Again.”
Financial Implications and Organizational Changes
Kennedy asserts that the latest cuts are expected to save taxpayers approximately $1.8 billion annually. Key changes in this restructuring plan will include:
- Reducing the number of regional offices from ten to five.
- Consolidating 28 divisions at HHS into 15, which will include a new division focusing on health initiatives dubbed the “Administration for a Healthy America.”
Strategic Goals and Service Impact
Explaining the strategy in a recent video, Kennedy stated, “We’re going to eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments and agencies, while preserving their core functions by merging them into a new organization.” Despite the substantial reduction in personnel, HHS insists that the restructuring will not threaten “critical services.”
Concerns Over Cuts to Research and Services
While the goals of the restructuring aim to enhance efficiency, the real-world impact of these cuts remains uncertain. Recent job losses have already affected leading researchers, including those focusing on Alzheimer’s disease at the National Institute of Health’s research center, as well as epidemiologists tasked with identifying emerging infectious diseases.
Report contributed by ABC News’ Will McDuffie.