Large Scale Cutbacks to Federal Health Department Sparks Concerns
Ongoing job cuts in the nation’s capital as the White House continues efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiency through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative has prompted Governor Hochul to launch the “You’re Hired” campaign in support of impacted federal workers that have lost their jobs amid cutback decisions made through DOGE, while also taking advantage of an opportunity to attract new qualified talent to New York State. According to a March 27th press release by the Governor’s office, “New York Wants You” billboards in Washington, D.C.’s Union Station and New York’s Moynihan Station attracted over 1,300 applications in three weeks, with 28 former federal worker hired and over 100 individuals interviewed, while over 250 individuals have signed up to attend a career webinar or receive career resources being offered by the state via a dedicated website. Hochul is hoping to fill some of the over 7,000 job openings “that span every part of public service including transportation, healthcare, technology and a wide variety of other fields, of which the most positions in demand are attorneys, engineers, nurses and IT specialists.” Recently the focus shifted to the federal Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) where workers were expected as early as last Friday, March 28th to learn if they were let go. Although the reported announcement by the HHS noted that “essential services wouldn’t be affected,” about 8,000 to 10,000 full-time employees will be laid off, in addition to the roughly 10,000 employees that previously “chose to leave the department though voluntary separation offers since President Trump took office.” “Administrative jobs, including human resources, information technology, procurement and finance,” as well as “roles in high-cost regions and employees in areas that have been deemed redundant or duplicative” are the target areas where reductions will be made per reported details within the email from HHS. The workforce reduction is expected to save $1.8 billion per year and 28 divisions will be consolidated to 15 including a new Administration for a Healthy America, while the number of regional offices will be reduced from 10 to 5 according to HHS.
Further cutbacks include an intended more than $300 million reduction in funding from HHS to the New York State Department of Health, Office of Addition Services and Supports (OASAS), and Office of Mental Health — a loss in funding Hochul said, “no state in this country has the financial resources to backfill.” In response to HHS cutbacks, Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, a nonprofit that studies and supports the U.S. public health workforce to reportedly said “Reducing duplication and improving government efficiency is needed, the question is consequences,” while Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and currently a fellow at think tank Century Foundation, further stated, “Any cut you make to a health agency should be done with incredible care an consideration for the hundreds of millions of Americans who rely on their work to stay healthy and get treatment when they’re sick.” In response, a statement by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr indicated that “We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic.” Legal experts consulted by the Wall Street Journal reportedly indicated that while Kennedy’s plans “appear to be within the secretary’s power, some details might need Congressional approval.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/health/hhs-rfk-job-cuts/index.html