Department of Health & Human Services to lay off almost 3K Maryland jobs
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced massive layoffs last week, which include almost 3,000 lost jobs in Maryland.
Going into effect May 30, the cuts were part of a drastic restructuring as part of an executive order by President Donald Trump implementing the Department of Government Efficiency's Workforce Optimization Initiative.
As part of the plan, HHS announced a reduction in workforce of about 10,000 full-time employees who are part of this most recent transformation. Those layoffs included over 200 jobs in the Baltimore area, according to the state's Department of Labor.
HHS officials said the restructuring will save taxpayers $1.8 billion per year and streamline the functions of the department.
The department said many of the HHS's 28 divisions are redundant. The restructuring plan will consolidate them into 15 new divisions, including a new Administration for a Healthy America, and will centralize functions such as human resources, information technology, procurement, external affairs and policy.
Regional offices will be reduced from 10 to five, and the current 82,000 full-time employees are being cut to 62,000, according to HHS.
'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,' HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. 'This Department will do more — a lot more — at a lower cost to the taxpayer. Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants.'
The area in Maryland impacted by the job cuts consist of Baltimore City (90 cuts), Baltimore County (140), Frederick County (90), Prince George's County (215) and Montgomery County (2,220), according to the Department of Labor.
Maryland has taken steps to fight back against the overall cuts at HHS.
On Tuesday, the state joined 22 states in a federal lawsuit over the termination of some $11 billion in funds from the HHS. While the funding cancellation could cost billions for the affected states, Maryland could lose up to $200 million, according to a news release.
'If the funding is not restored, important state public health programs and initiatives will have to be dissolved or disbanded, including vital funding to support vaccination programs, track disease outbreaks, and alleviate health disparities,' the Maryland Office of the Attorney General said in a statement.
This article will be updated.
Baltimore Sun reporter Racquel Bazoz contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
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