Massive Health Department Shakeup: Job Cuts and Structural Changes

The Department of Health and Human Services, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is undergoing a major reorganization, affecting thousands of jobs and reshaping agencies. The overhaul, aimed at addressing inefficiency within the department, has led to mass layoffs and the consolidation of various health services.

The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is facing a major restructuring that is set to reduce its workforce by 20,000 employees, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.

About 10,000 of these reductions will occur through layoffs, as part of a plan to streamline what Kennedy deems an inefficient and overly large bureaucracy.

The changes, which impact federal health agencies and departments, also include halting certain health efforts, raising concerns among experts about the risks posed to public health initiatives.

(With inputs from agencies.)