Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released plans to reduce its workforce by 20,000 across all of its subagencies. The reorganization will include mergers of some agencies, with HHS indicating that it intends to consolidate its 28 subagencies into 15 new divisions and halve the number of regional offices.
The cuts include 10,000 workers who have left voluntarily through buyouts and early retirements, plus a reduction of 10,000 additional employees.
The reorganization of HHS calls for:
- Creation of the “Administration for a Healthy America” that will consolidate the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, under a single new agency.
- Creation of the Office of Strategy: This will combine the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality into a single office.
The proposed personnel cuts are expected to affect:
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): 3,500 staff, although HHS states that the cuts will not impact drug, medical device, and food review staff or FDA inspectors,
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 2,400 employees, which HHS notes totals 1,400, accounting for the 1,000 employees being rolled into the CDC from the Administration for Strategic Response and Preparedness,
- National Institutes of Health: 1,200 employees by centralizing procurement, human resources, and communications, and
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: 300 employees, although HHS notes that this “will not impact Medicare and Medicaid services.”
ASHP is a board member of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA and is working closely with that coalition to advocate for key agency functions related to medication use, supply chain, and patient safety.
ASHP will continue to update members as more information about the HHS reorganization plan and its impacts become available. Questions or concerns regarding the reorganization should be sent to Jillanne Schulte Wall, ASHP senior director of health and regulatory policy.
