United States Health Department Cuts 10,000 Employees
The US Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that they are cutting 10,000 full-time employees across health agencies.
The department took this news to CNN. With this breaking news, it follows 10,000 employees who already left the department voluntarily. With these losses, it shrinks the workforce to only a quarter of what it was originally. The health department will be cut from 25 to 15 divisions Also, it will include a new Administration for a Healthy America, which will reduce regional officiates from 10 to 5. The workforce reduction will save 1.8 billion per year.
HHS said that the Thursday cuts will include:
- 3,500 full-time employees at the US Food and Drug Administration, not affecting drug, medical device, or food reviewers or inspectors.
- 2,400 employees at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 1,200 employees at the National Institutes of Health by centralizing procurement, Human Resources, and communications.
- 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Among these changes will be a new Administration for a Health America. This will combine the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
HHS said it will focus on areas such as primary care, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, HIV/AIDS and workforce development. They will also be creating a new assistant secretary for enforcement. This person will oversee the Office for Civil Rights, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and the Department Appeals Board.
