Health Department cuts 10,000 jobs as Kennedy launches massive restructuring

According to Kennedy, the goal is not just to reduce the size of government, but to reorient the department toward tackling chronic disease and streamlining operations.

"We aren't just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic," he said.

With this move, the total HHS workforce will shrink from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees, taking into account both layoffs and voluntary departures.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, to downsize federal agencies. Kennedy’s announcement marks one of the largest reductions yet within a single department.

New divisions and centralized functions

A key element of the plan is the consolidation of 28 HHS units into 15 newly structured divisions. Among them is the 'Administration for a Healthy America' (AHA), which will merge offices dealing with addiction, toxic substances, and workplace safety into a single centralized entity.

Additionally, internal services such as IT, HR, and external affairs will now be unified across the department. Officials say this will cut costs, eliminate duplication, and improve coordination between divisions.

This move follows an earlier voluntary exit program that offered HHS employees a one-time severance of $25,000 to resign - a step that hinted at the deeper cuts now underway.

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