The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is undergoing a significant restructuring, resulting in the layoffs of approximately 50 senior staff members from its communications division. This shakeup, announced on Tuesday, comes amid plans to realign the agency’s operations under the incoming leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of federal health policies.
HHS oversees critical public health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The layoffs primarily affect high-ranking communications officials, with some insiders suggesting the move is part of a broader effort to streamline the department and reduce its footprint. A source familiar with the changes, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, indicated that the restructuring reflects Kennedy’s intent to shift the agency’s focus away from what he has long criticized as bureaucratic overreach.
Kennedy, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead HHS, has built a public persona challenging mainstream medical consensus, particularly on vaccines and pharmaceutical influence. His appointment has sparked both enthusiasm from supporters who see him as a reformer and concern from critics who fear his unorthodox views could disrupt established health policies. Trump has praised Kennedy’s selection, calling him “a brilliant mind” who will “bring accountability” to the agency.
The layoffs coincide with a reported plan to cut the HHS budget significantly, with proposals floating to slash funding by as much as 20%. While details remain unclear, the administration has hinted at prioritizing “efficiency” and redirecting resources toward alternative health initiatives. Some speculate this could include greater emphasis on natural remedies and reduced reliance on federal vaccine programs—positions Kennedy has championed in the past.
Agency spokesperson Maria Gonzalez declined to comment on specific personnel changes but stated that HHS is “committed to adapting to new priorities while continuing to serve the American people.” The department employs over 80,000 people nationwide, and the current layoffs represent a small but symbolically significant fraction of its workforce.
The restructuring has drawn mixed reactions. Public health advocates worry that downsizing expertise in communications could hinder the agency’s ability to respond to crises, such as pandemics or misinformation campaigns. Meanwhile, allies of Kennedy argue that trimming excess staff will allow HHS to operate more decisively and align with the incoming administration’s goals.
As Trump’s team prepares to take office, the HHS overhaul signals a broader intent to reshape federal agencies. Kennedy’s influence, paired with the promise of budget cuts, suggests turbulent times ahead for one of the nation’s largest departments. How these changes will play out—and their impact on millions of Americans relying on HHS services—remains to be seen.
The Trump administration has fired staff who were working on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's bird flu response as part of its mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association and a source familiar with the situation.
The Tuesday firings, which many employees learned of as they attempted to enter office buildings and were denied access, are part of the administration's effort to shrink the federal government.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he will fire 10,000 people across the agencies under the health department.
Among those fired were leadership and administrative staff at the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, according to the source.
The FDA did not respond to a request for comment.
An employee at the Center for Veterinary Medicine said almost all the administrative staff were terminated, along with staff on the policy, legal, and external communications teams.
Managers were also eliminated in the office of the center's director, said the employee, who recently took part in a deferred resignation program that reduced the government's headcount.
The American Veterinary Medical Association wants to work with the U.S. Congress and the administration to restore key positions eliminated within the health department, President Sandra Faeh said. Department cutbacks affected offices dealing with bird flu, animal and human food safety, and other issues, she said.
The FDA center's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network tests pet food for bird flu. The FDA has issued raw pet food recalls after detecting bird flu contamination that was linked to the deaths of house cats.
The laboratory program office told staff in an email sent on Tuesday that job cuts at the center "may cause significant challenges and delays," according to a copy of the email seen by Reuters.
While staff of the laboratory network were not cut, the axing of leadership and administrative staff will bring its operations to a halt, a source said.
Kristy Pabilonia, executive director of clinical diagnostics for Colorado State University's Veterinary Health System, said she has relied on the center to take reports of cat infections that could be linked to pet food.
"It keeps me up at night thinking that there would be a chance that I wouldn't have someone to report to," she said.
The cuts are also likely to significantly disrupt efforts under way to develop bird flu testing infrastructure for aged artisan raw milk cheese, said Keith Poulsen, a veterinarian and director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory who has been involved in the effort.
Federal health officials have warned against the consumption of raw milk, which can carry a host of pathogens, because of the bird flu outbreak. Nearly one thousand U.S. dairy cattle herds have been infected with the virus over the past year. Kennedy has been a proponent of raw milk.
Coordinating bird flu testing through the national lab network is critical to tracking and managing the virus' spread, Poulsen said.
"You chop off the head of the leadership, and now we have to reinvent that wheel. That's not in our best interest," he said.
Bird flu has killed nearly 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds in an ongoing outbreak that began in 2022 and has driven egg prices to all-time highs. Prices have dipped somewhat in recent weeks amid a lull in new infections and increased imports.