HHS restructuring impacts oral health staff

HHS announced on March 27 a departmental restructuring, resulting in the layoffs of 10,000 full-time employees, following the earlier departure of another 10,000 employees and reducing the workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. The cuts have impacted personnel across HHS, including the CDC, NIH and FDA. Meanwhile, some employees in these agencies have been reassigned to other divisions. Notably, the layoffs include the entire CDC’s Division of Oral Health, which has played a role in infection control efforts, as well as Health Resources and Services Administration Chief Dental Officer Adam Barefoot, DMD, MPH, along with other oral health employees at the agency. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have invited HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the committee on April 10 about the scope and impact of the reorganization. HHS staff also is scheduled to brief the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the changes this week.