Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a sweeping plan to reduce the size of the department, eliminating approximately 10,000 full-time employees and closing five of its ten regional offices. This move follows the voluntary departure of another 10,000 employees since President Trump took office, bringing the department’s workforce down to 62,000 federal health workers—a 25% reduction., reports the Wall Street Journal.

Kennedy announced the restructuring plan in a video posted on X, stating, “We’re going to eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments and agencies while preserving their core function.” A key aspect of the reorganization is centralizing communications, procurement, human resources, information technology, and policy planning, which are currently spread across various divisions.

This reorganization will significantly alter how major health agencies within HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), operate. Historically, these agencies have maintained a degree of independence from both the White House and the HHS Secretary.

Kennedy, a long-time critic of HHS, has expressed concerns about the department’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its approach to vaccines. In a prior social media post, he warned FDA employees to “pack your bags.” He has emphasized his belief that the agency has grown inefficient, citing rising rates of chronic disease and cancer as evidence.

As part of the restructuring, Kennedy is introducing a new subdivision: the Administration for a Healthy America. This new entity will consolidate multiple offices, including those focused on addiction, toxic substances, and occupational safety, into a single division dedicated to chronic disease prevention and resources for low-income Americans.

“The agency has been inefficient as a whole,” Kennedy stated. “The rate of chronic disease and cancer increased dramatically as our department has grown.”

The Wall Street Journal writes that according to HHS documents, the administration’s plan to cut 10,000 jobs will affect several key agencies, including:

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA): 3,500 employees (19% of workforce)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 2,400 employees (18% of workforce)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): 1,200 employees (6% of workforce)
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): 300 employees (4% of workforce)

HHS officials insist that essential health services will remain unaffected. The CDC, for instance, will be “returning to its core mission” of epidemic preparedness and response, with no job cuts in infectious disease divisions. Similarly, the FDA’s cuts will not impact inspectors or reviewers for drugs, medical devices, or food.