WSJ: Kennedy's HHS restructuring slashes headcount

The Journal is reporting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. sweeping reform plans that would drastically reduce the size of his department and centralize procurement, communications, and administrative operations. These measures would result in the department losing approximately 10,000 positions, shrinking the workforce by nearly a quarter.

Central to Kennedy's plan is consolidating functions such as acquisition, human resources, and IT that previously operated semiautonomously within HHS agencies, such as FDA, CDC, and NIH. The restructured HHS will merge numerous offices, such as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, into a new strategic office. Similarly, key enforcement and adjudication roles tied to Medicare disputes would be consolidated under a newly created Assistant Secretary of Enforcement.

Public health advocates have voiced concern, arguing that such extensive cuts could jeopardize the nation's health infrastructure. Former CDC Director Tom Frieden emphasized that "reform should strengthen, not undermine, our ability to protect Americans from health threats."

Kennedy, who campaigned prominently on chronic disease prevention, insists the realignment will enhance the department's core mission, refocusing resources on combating health epidemics and improving public health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Tags: procurement, administration, federal government, HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC, FDA, healthcare reform