Latest news with #AdministrationforaHealthyAmerica
CNN
31-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Questions and expectations swirl as Monarez steps into director's role at CDC
Dr. Susan Monarez will be sworn in as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, and she's taking the reins at a perilous time for the agency. The CDC has lost nearly a quarter of its staff since January, thanks to massive workforce cuts at federal health agencies. The Trump administration's proposed budget for the fiscal year 2026 would slash the agency's funding by more than half. And under a proposed reorganization, the agency stands to lose more of its programs: Some are set to be moved to a new Administration for a Healthy America while others, such as the National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, would be eliminated altogether. All this is playing out as US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long promoted misinformation about vaccines, has moved to undermine longstanding federal policies and processes that support vaccination in the United States. Kennedy has also throttled communications coming out of federal health agencies, including the CDC, all but silencing its scientists amid the worst measles outbreak in the US in three decades. Many at the agency and in the wider public health world are wondering whether Monarez will prove to be a savior or a sycophant. Morale among agency staff is bleak, according to one CDC official who spoke on the condition that they not be named for fear of reprisals. Staffers are feeling unsure about what Monarez's confirmation means, the official said. Many see her as a good scientist and someone with experience in leadership positions at federal agencies. But they also wonder whether she'll be constrained by Kennedy, the official said. Monarez's tenure in government spans Republican and Democratic administrations. Before coming to the CDC in January, she was deputy director for the Advance Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, and was founding director of the Center for Innovation at the Health Resources and Services Administration. She held other leadership positions at the Department of Homeland Security and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. In her confirmation hearing, Monarez described herself as the daughter of a dairy farmer from rural Wisconsin who attended state schools and paid her own way through college, eventually earning a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. She said that her research was focused on two diseases, African sleeping sickness and toxoplasmosis, and that she was drawn to public health because treatments for those diseases remain limited but public health interventions have reduced the impact of the diseases. Under questioning by senators, Monarez seemed to distance herself from Kennedy on two issues: vaccines and fluoride. In response to questions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, about the US ending its support for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, Monarez said, 'I think vaccines save lives. I think that we need to continue to support the promotion and utilization of vaccines.' When Sanders asked whether she agrees that there is no scientific proven link between vaccines and autism, Monarez said, 'I have not seen a causal link between vaccines and autism.' Regarding fluoride, Monarez told Sen. Angela Alsobrooks that she considered it 'an important component to oral health. … The direct application can be very valuable.' Alsobrooks asked about fluoridation of public drinking water, including in Monarez's own town. 'They have fluoridation there. Is it safe for families, the water in Potomac, Maryland?' 'I believe the water in Potomac, Maryland, is safe,' Monarez answered. One staffer who worked under Monarez at ARPA-H described her as a quiet presence. She wasn't the type of manager who is an active presence on Slack or email, they said. 'We all respected her. She's been in government a long time,' said the staffer, who spoke on the condition that they not be named for fear of retaliation. Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, who directs the Pandemic Center at Brown University's School of Public Health, has known Monarez for at least a decade. 'She's a lifelong government scientist who has risen through the ranks to become a very senior leader,' Nuzzo said. 'She's loyal to serving the American people.' They worked together when Monarez was detailed to the White House, where she worked on the US National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. 'She got into the nitty-gritty of a complex policy issue, but she was also able to bring together a really diverse set of stakeholders to provide input into that strategy,' Nuzzo said. 'I think that's a great example of what Susan does.' Monarez has said she has three priorities for the CDC. First, she said, she wants to improve trust in the agency and its recommendations. Next, she will focus on strengthening public health infrastructure by investing in tools to prevent, detect and respond to threats in near real-time. She pledged to collaborate with state and local public health departments to build a nationwide public health network. Finally, she said, she will work to create rapid, evidence-based responses to public health emergencies, with timely communication that is consistent and grounded in facts. While these are worthy goals, Nuzzo said, her biggest worry is whether Monarez will be able to act independently, without political interference. 'You can't run an organization as important and large as the CDC if you need to get permission for everything that needs to be done,' Nuzzo added. Dr. Richard Besser, a former acting director of the CDC, said in a statement that he looked forward to meeting Monarez to better understand her plans to lead the agency. Besser is now president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 'Dr. Monarez must not only lead the CDC – she must fight for it. Our nation's entire public health system depends on CDC having the tools it needs to respond to pandemics, reduce chronic disease, and address health inequities that continue to leave too many communities behind. That starts with a director willing to speak the truth, defend science, and stand up for the health of every American,' Besser said.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Admin Sets HIV Research Back ‘A Decade' With Massive Funding Cut
In 2019, President Donald Trump launched an ambitious new health program with a singular aim: reduce HIV transmission in America by 90 percent. Six years and a change of president later, in his new administration, Trump appears to have all but given up on that idea. On Friday, research programs at Duke University and the Scripps Research Institute that are working to deliver an HIV vaccine were told by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that their $258 million funding would be stopped. The vaccine manufacturer Moderna said that its clinical trials, funded by the NIH, have also been paused. 'The consortia for HIV/AIDS vaccine development and immunology was reviewed by NIH leadership, which does not support it moving forward,' a senior official at the agency told The New York Times. 'NIH expects to be shifting its focus toward using currently available approaches to eliminate HIV/AIDS,' they added. The news comes at 'a terrible time' for HIV vaccine research, an immunology professor at Scripps told CBS News. 'This is a decision with consequences that will linger. This is a setback of probably a decade for HIV vaccine research.' This is just the latest round of funding cuts to HIV research, part of a vast swath of grant terminations undertaken by the NIH. Forty percent of the health bodies' $47 billion budget is expected to be cut by Republican lawmakers, with 20,000 jobs on the chopping block as HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledges to shrink the size of the government and 'make America healthy again.' More than 230 of the nearly 800 research grants that have so far been cut were HIV and AIDS-specific. The impact of the cuts is expected to be global. While HIV infections have been on the decline since 2010, in 2023, there were 1.3 million new cases around the world, with 120,000 of those in children, the World Health Organization reports. 'The HIV pandemic will never be ended without a vaccine, so killing research on one will end up killing people,' John Moore, an HIV researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, told The New York Times. 'The NIH's multiyear investment in advanced vaccine technologies shouldn't be abandoned on a whim like this,' he said. A spokesperson for the HHS defended the cuts to CBS News, saying the 'complex and duplicative health programs have resulted in serious duplication of efforts' and that '27 separate programs that address HIV/AIDS' have spent $7.5 billion. Critical HIV/AIDS programs 'will continue,' the spokesperson said, under the proposed Administration for a Healthy America. Still, with current research on ice, experts are saying that the ongoing (and expected-to-continue) cuts to this necessary research have 'destroyed with an email in a day' what the research community has spent 25 years building.
Epoch Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Trump's Skinny Budget: A Bold Prescription for a Healthier HHS
Commentary President Donald Trump's skinny budget for fiscal year 2026, is a game-changer for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). By slashing $40 billion from HHS's discretionary budget, cutting 20,000 jobs, and launching the Administration for a Healthy America, this plan delivers a leaner, more focused agency under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) vision. As the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, I see this budget as a courageous step to eliminate waste, prioritize chronic disease prevention, and rebuild trust in public health. In essence, it's a prescription for a healthier America. Slashing Waste, Saving Billions HHS's discretionary budget, ballooning to $121 billion in 2025, has long been riddled with inefficiencies. Trump's proposal cuts it to $80.4 billion—a 33 percent reduction—saving taxpayers $40 billion annually. By targeting duplicative programs, like the National Institutes of Health 's redundant 27 institutes, the budget redirects funds to high-impact areas like chronic disease prevention, affecting 50 percent of Americans. The consolidation of NIH into eight institutes, streamlines innovation without sacrificing quality. This fiscal discipline, saving $1.8 billion yearly from workforce cuts alone, ensures every dollar serves patients, not bureaucrats. A Leaner, Smarter Workforce The budget's reduction of 20,000 HHS jobs is a masterstroke of efficiency. By trimming administrative roles in human resources, information technology, and high-cost regions, HHS sheds 24 percent of its 82,000-strong workforce, focusing on frontline health priorities. The FDA's cut of 3,500 non-essential jobs, sparing drug reviewers, and the CDC's 2,400 reductions target overhead, not expertise. This leaner HHS is poised to deliver results, not red tape. The AHA: A Vision for Prevention The creation of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) is the budget's crown jewel. By merging the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, AHA centralizes chronic care, mental health, and environmental health services. This streamlined entity absorbs rural programs, ensuring underserved communities get targeted support. Unlike the programs in the previous administration that were mired in ideology, AHA aligns with MAHA's focus on clean water, safe food, and ending the chronic disease epidemic. Reducing HHS's 10 regional offices to five further sharpens efficiency—and helps free new resources for a new Assistant Secretary for Enforcement to combat fraud. Rejecting Ideological Overreach The budget boldly eliminates programs tainted by 'woke ideology,' such as NIH's gender identity research and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ' health equity initiatives, which have often distracted from core health needs. By refocusing on evidence-based priorities, the budget tackles real threats. This clarity restores public trust, eroded by years of overreach, and empowers states to handle local needs, embodying federalism. Perfect Timing, Lasting Impact Launched in Trump's first 100 days, the budget leverages a 53-seat Senate majority to push reforms before 2026 mid-terms shift dynamics. With Congress's budget authority looming, the proposal's early timing—before June 2025 hearings—sets the stage for Republican-led appropriations to cement these changes. States like Utah banning SNAP soda purchases show the path forward, and HHS's alignment amplifies this momentum. Unlike past budgets ignored by Congress, this plan's clarity and public support make it a positive blueprint. Addressing Concerns, Seizing Opportunity Critics will likely fearmonger over how reductions in bureaucracy will lead to poor health outcomes. But Secretary Kennedy's focus on chronic disease and environmental health counters these fears, and the budget spares mandatory programs like Medicare. For healthcare providers and patients, a streamlined HHS means faster approvals, better care, and lower costs. Taxpayers gain a government that works for them, not against them. Trump's skinny budget is a visionary reset for HHS, slashing waste, empowering prevention, and restoring trust. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Some federal workers focused on 'black lung' screenings reinstated but still face June termination
The Trump administration plans to terminate federal workers focused on preventing and responding to work-related illnesses, including "black lung" disease in coal miners, according to an internal government memo obtained by NBC News, despite in recent days reinstating some who had been let go. Those terminations could threaten critical programs used to screen for health issues in workers with toxic exposures, including 9/11 first responders, according to people who work on or benefit from the programs. Some workers who benefit from those programs have expressed fears that conditions such as cancer or lung disease could go undetected as a result. Concerns about the future of those programs began earlier this month when the Department of Health and Human Services effectively gutted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), drastically cutting the headcount of an agency that has been around for 55 years. The move was part of a broader plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including a massive restructuring of federal health agencies that called for the termination of roughly 20,000 full-time employees. In an agencywide email sent Wednesday, NIOSH's director, John Howard, acknowledged 'a significant number of [reduction in force] notices sent to staff' and said some staffers were brought back from administrative leave this week as part of 'a temporary arrangement to help complete our obligations.' The staffers had received notices on April 1 that they had been placed on leave, with official termination dates set for June. Howard himself received a termination notice in early April but returned to his post after bipartisan opposition from members of Congress regarding his dismissal. The notices 'created confusion and gaps in information that we are continuing to try to fill,' Howard said in his memo. Some programs within NIOSH will move to a newly created agency known as the Administration for a Healthy America, he said, but it's unclear how that transition will occur. One program caught up in the cuts is the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, a congressionally mandated effort to monitor the health of coal miners. For decades, it offered free X-rays to identify lung scarring in miners who continuously inhale coal dust — what's colloquially known as 'black lung.' An HHS official said critical NIOSH programs, including the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, will continue to serve the needs of miners via the newly created Administration for a Healthy America, but did not address the upcoming staffing cuts. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, said Tuesday evening on X that she was encouraged by some NIOSH staff returning to work this week. 'My understanding is that this is temporary, so my focus will continue to be on working with @HHSGov on permanently restoring these functions and personnel in the most efficient and effective manner,' she wrote. A lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coal miner in West Virginia on behalf of himself and others in his field calls for the program to be reinstated. It accuses HHS of violating the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act — which established the program in 1969 — by terminating staffers involved in black lung screenings. HHS has until Thursday to respond to the suit. Coal miners have a higher-than-average risk of dying from black lung by virtue of their occupation. One in 10 underground coal miners who worked in mines for at least 25 years had black lung, according to a NIOSH report in 2018. In Central Appalachia, one of the main coal mining regions in the U.S., the rate was 1 in 5. Scott Laney, an epidemiologist at the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, said the program diagnosed new cases and provided evidence of the disease to miners filing for disability benefits. He estimated that, due to staffing cuts, there are hundreds of thousands of X-rays currently sitting in the basement of the NIOSH facility in Morgantown, West Virginia. 'There's a tranche of X-rays that have gone unread in our system, and these miners are waiting to find out whether they have black lung or not,' he said. On top of that, he said, 'if someone calls NIOSH and asks for their personal health information, we don't have the ability to send that to them right now.' Dave Dayton, a miner in Marion County, West Virginia, said he has personally taken advantage of NIOSH's mobile screenings for lung disease. Many miners work long shifts and would otherwise struggle to see a doctor, he said. 'Without NIOSH being there to help us, I don't know where we're going and where the miners are going to be without their help,' he said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
30-04-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Some federal workers focused on 'black lung' screenings reinstated but still face June termination
The Trump administration plans to terminate federal workers focused on preventing and responding to work-related illnesses, including "black lung" disease in coal miners, according to an internal government memo obtained by NBC News, despite in recent days reinstating some who had been let go. Those terminations could threaten critical programs used to screen for health issues in workers with toxic exposures, including 9/11 first responders, according to people who work on or benefit from the programs. Some workers who benefit from those programs have expressed fears that conditions such as cancer or lung disease could go undetected as a result. Concerns about the future of those programs began earlier this month when the Department of Health and Human Services effectively gutted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), drastically cutting the headcount of an agency that has been around for 55 years. The move was part of a broader plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including a massive restructuring of federal health agencies that called for the termination of roughly 20,000 full-time employees. In an agencywide email sent Wednesday, NIOSH's director, John Howard, acknowledged 'a significant number of [reduction in force] notices sent to staff' and said some staffers were brought back from administrative leave this week as part of 'a temporary arrangement to help complete our obligations.' The staffers had received notices on April 1 that they had been placed on leave, with official termination dates set for June. Howard himself received a termination notice in early April but returned to his post after bipartisan opposition from members of Congress regarding his dismissal. The notices 'created confusion and gaps in information that we are continuing to try to fill,' Howard said in his memo. Some programs within NIOSH will move to a newly created agency known as the Administration for a Healthy America, he said, but it's unclear how that transition will occur. One program caught up in the cuts is the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, a congressionally mandated effort to monitor the health of coal miners. For decades, it offered free X-rays to identify lung scarring in miners who continuously inhale coal dust — what's colloquially known as 'black lung.' An HHS official said critical NIOSH programs, including the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, will continue to serve the needs of miners via the newly created Administration for a Healthy America, but did not address the upcoming staffing cuts. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, said Tuesday evening on X that she was encouraged by some NIOSH staff returning to work this week. 'My understanding is that this is temporary, so my focus will continue to be on working with @HHSGov on permanently restoring these functions and personnel in the most efficient and effective manner,' she wrote. A lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coal miner in West Virginia on behalf of himself and others in his field calls for the program to be reinstated. It accuses HHS of violating the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act — which established the program in 1969 — by terminating staffers involved in black lung screenings. HHS has until Thursday to respond to the suit. Coal miners have a higher-than-average risk of dying from black lung by virtue of their occupation. One in 10 underground coal miners who worked in mines for at least 25 years had black lung, according to a NIOSH report in 2018. In Central Appalachia, one of the main coal mining regions in the U.S., the rate was 1 in 5. Scott Laney, an epidemiologist at the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, said the program diagnosed new cases and provided evidence of the disease to miners filing for disability benefits. He estimated that, due to staffing cuts, there are hundreds of thousands of X-rays currently sitting in the basement of the NIOSH facility in Morgantown, West Virginia. 'There's a tranche of X-rays that have gone unread in our system, and these miners are waiting to find out whether they have black lung or not,' he said. On top of that, he said, 'if someone calls NIOSH and asks for their personal health information, we don't have the ability to send that to them right now.' Dave Dayton, a miner in Marion County, West Virginia, said he has personally taken advantage of NIOSH's mobile screenings for lung disease. Many miners work long shifts and would otherwise struggle to see a doctor, he said. 'Without NIOSH being there to help us, I don't know where we're going and where the miners are going to be without their help,' he said.
