HHS Announces Massive Reorganization, Cutting 10,000 Jobs and Streamlining Divisions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has unveiled a sweeping reorganization plan that will significantly reduce its workforce and restructure its operations. The move, announced on Thursday, aims to centralize the department's functions and align with the Trump administration's cost-cutting initiatives.

Workforce Reduction and Divisional Restructuring

HHS will eliminate 10,000 full-time positions, adding to the approximately 10,000 employees who have already left the department since President Donald Trump took office. This reduction brings the total HHS workforce down from its previous 82,000 employees.

The reorganization will also consolidate the department's structure, reducing the number of divisions from 28 to 15 and closing five of its ten regional offices. According to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., these changes are expected to save taxpayers $1.8 billion annually.

Agency-Specific Impacts

Several key agencies within HHS will face significant staffing cuts:

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will lose 3,500 jobs, though the agency states this won't affect safety inspectors.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will cut 2,400 positions, with the department claiming this will help the CDC refocus on its "core mission of preparing for and responding to epidemics and outbreaks."
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will reduce its workforce by 1,200 employees.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will eliminate approximately 300 jobs.

New Priorities and Structural Changes

As part of the reorganization, HHS is creating a new agency called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). This entity will consolidate work in primary care, maternal health, environmental health, and other areas, combining several existing offices and administrations.

Other structural changes include:

• Merging the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation into the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• Moving the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response into the CDC.
• Folding programs supporting older adults and people with disabilities into other HHS agencies, including CMS.

Secretary Kennedy emphasized that the reorganization aims to align the department with its "core mission and new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic," focusing on a more holistic approach to health.