The Department of Health and Human Services shocked its workforce Thursday morning with an unexpected announcement detailing massive staffing cuts that will eliminate 10,000 full-time positions. The restructuring plan, revealed through a press release titled “HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again,” caught many department heads and employees off guard.
The sweeping changes will consolidate the department’s 28 divisions into 15 and reduce regional offices by half. Many employees first learned about their uncertain future through unofficial channels, including social media and online forums, hours before receiving any formal communication from their supervisors.
The cuts will primarily target administrative roles in human resources, IT, and procurement departments, according to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who characterized these positions as
contributing to “bureaucratic sprawl.” Major agencies within HHS will face significant reductions, with the FDA losing approximately 3,500 staff members, the CDC cutting more than 2,000 positions, and the NIH eliminating 1,200 jobs.
While HHS leadership maintains that essential functions like FDA drug reviews and Medicare administration will continue unaffected, many industry experts and former officials express skepticism. Doreen Greenwald, who leads the National Treasury Employees Union
representing HHS workers, dismissed claims that such extensive cuts would not impact critical operations as “preposterous.”
Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf emphasized that administrative reductions could significantly hamper the agency’s work, noting the interconnected nature of FDA operations across different expertise areas. Even Secretary Kennedy acknowledged on social media platform X that the department faces a “painful period” ahead.
The announcement has created widespread uncertainty throughout the department. Multiple HHS employees, speaking anonymously, revealed that many department heads were blindsided by the restructuring plans. A veteran HHS attorney reported that their management team had no prior knowledge of the specific changes, while an FDA employee at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health disclosed that their director was left seeking answers alongside other division leaders.
Democratic lawmakers and former HHS officials have voiced strong opposition to the cuts. Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra warned on X that the restructuring had “the makings of a manmade disaster,” questioning how reduced services for elderly, disabled, and mental health patients, along with diminished emergency preparedness capabilities, could benefit public health.
However, some industry representatives, including Advamed’s Scott Whitaker, expressed optimism that core FDA functions would remain intact. Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner attempted to reassure staff in an email, suggesting the changes would strengthen the agency’s ability to fulfill its regulatory mission.
HHS employees now anxiously await formal notices of termination, which could begin as early as Friday. Staff members have been instructed to prepare their personnel files for possible immediate dismissal. The uncertainty has created significant stress among employees, with one NIH worker comparing the daily anxiety to waiting for a cancer diagnosis.
The restructuring represents the culmination of months of tension within HHS following President Trump’s election victory in November. Combined with voluntary dismissals, buyouts, and early retirements, the cuts will reduce the department’s overall workforce by 25 percent, marking one of the most significant transformations in the agency’s history.