The federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) today announced it is cutting nearly a quarter of its workforce and consolidating several of its departments as part of a major restructuring of the agency.
The restructuring is intended to serve multiple goals without impacting critical services. Included in the restructuring are staffing reductions that will save $1.8 billion annually through a reduction in workforce of about 10,000 full-time employees who are part of this most recent announcement. When combined with HHS’ earlier steps including employees who took buyouts or early retirements, the restructuring results in a total downsizing from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees. The agency also intends to reduce the HHS’s 28 divisions to 15 and create a new Administration for a Healthy America that includes several core functions. The number of regional offices will drop from 10 to five.
An accompanying DHHS fact sheet includes the following information in regard to the FDA, CDC, NIH, and CMS:
- FDA will decrease its workforce by approximately 3,500 full-time employees, with a focus on streamlining operations and centralizing administrative functions. This reduction will not affect drug, medical device, or food reviewers, nor will it impact inspectors.
- CDC will decrease its workforce by approximately 2,400 employees, with a focus on returning to its core mission of preparing for and responding to epidemics and outbreaks. This includes moving ASPR under CDC to enhance coordination of response efforts.
- NIH will decrease its workforce by approximately 1,200 employees by centralizing procurement, human resources, and communications across its 27 institutes and centers.
- CMS will decrease its workforce by approximately 300 employees, with a focus on reducing minor duplication across the agency. This reorganization will not impact Medicare and Medicaid services.