Latest news with #IanSimon
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration to shutter HHS' long COVID office: report
A federal office dedicated to the research of long COVID is set to close following the Trump administration's decision to slash the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) workforce. Ian Simon, head of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice (OLC), made the announcement in an email on Monday, Politico reported. "The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week," the email read, according to Politico. "We are proud of what we have accomplished together, advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID." Fox News Digital reached out to HHS and Simon for more information, but they did not immediately respond. Trump Admin Lays Out Who Exactly Was Cut At Hhs In Face Of 'Democrat Hysteria' It is unclear when the OLC will close nor whether its staff will remain employed by the federal government. Read On The Fox News App The Biden-era office was established as a federal response to the widespread and long-term effects of COVID, which can result in chronic conditions that require comprehensive care. Academic Unions Plan Demonstrations Outside Hhs Building, At Med Schools, To Protest Trump Research Cuts The decision to shutter the office comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during his confirmation hearing in January that he was committed to continuing funding and prioritizing long COVID research. However, President Donald Trump directed HHS in a presidential action last month to "terminate the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Long COVID." The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said more than $1.5 billion was approved in the last several years for its Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, which studies the impact of long COVID. The NIH reported in 2023 that 23 million people were affected by the illness, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2023 that 6% of American adults suffered from long COVID, down from 7.5% in 2022. "While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form," the email article source: Trump administration to shutter HHS' long COVID office: report
Fox News
25-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Trump administration to shutter HHS' long COVID office: report
A federal office dedicated to the research of long COVID is set to close following the Trump administration's decision to slash the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) workforce. Ian Simon, head of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice (OLC), made the announcement in an email on Monday, Politico reported. "The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week," the email read, according to Politico. "We are proud of what we have accomplished together, advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID." Fox News Digital reached out to HHS and Simon for more information, but they did not immediately respond. It is unclear when the OLC will close nor whether its staff will remain employed by the federal government. The Biden-era office was established as a federal response to the widespread and long-term effects of COVID, which can result in chronic conditions that require comprehensive care. The decision to shutter the office comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during his confirmation hearing in January that he was committed to continuing funding and prioritizing long COVID research. However, President Donald Trump directed HHS in a presidential action last month to "terminate the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Long COVID." The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said more than $1.5 billion was approved in the last several years for its Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, which studies the impact of long COVID. The NIH reported in 2023 that 23 million people were affected by the illness, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2023 that 6% of American adults suffered from long COVID, down from 7.5% in 2022. "While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form," the email read.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration shuttering long Covid office
The Trump administration is shuttering HHS' long Covid office as part of its reorganization, according to an internal email seen by POLITICO. The email was sent Monday by Ian Simon, the head of the Office of Long Covid Research and Practice. It said the closing is part of the Department of Health and Human Services' reorganization. The office's handful of staff were not told whether they would remain employed in the federal government or whether the office would close immediately or wind down operations over time. 'We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week,' the email reads. 'We are proud of what we have accomplished together advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID.' One HHS employee who works on long Covid, granted anonymity to share details of the move, argued closing the office would not save much money and could cost more over time. Not only could suspending the office's coordination work lead to overlapping and duplicated efforts, the employee said, but also abandoning work that could cure long Covid means the country's health care system will have to provide years if not decades of costly care for millions of chronically ill people. 'We did the not-sexy, behind-the-scenes work that it takes to make the federal government function well,' the staffer said. 'We made sure doctors at the VA are talking to scientists and researchers and epidemiologists at CDC and NIH — that they're learning from each other. It was a very, very cost effective way to make sure that people are talking to each other and that we're making the best use of federal resources.' The decision appears to contradict promises that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made during his confirmation hearing to prioritize long Covid research and his repeated pledge to focus on chronic diseases. 'It is very disappointing and risks undoing a lot of the progress that has been made to address the crisis,' one former senior HHS official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told POLITICO. A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OLC, housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, was established in 2023 and tasked with helping other agencies and HHS leadership address long Covid and coordinating a government-wide long Covid strategy. Last month, the Trump administration directed HHS to terminate the Federal Advisory Committee on Long Covid. 'While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form,' the email reads.
Politico
25-03-2025
- Health
- Politico
Trump administration shuttering long Covid office
The Trump administration is shuttering HHS' long Covid office as part of its reorganization, according to an internal email seen by POLITICO. The email was sent Monday by Ian Simon, the head of the Office of Long Covid Research and Practice. It said the closing is part of the Department of Health and Human Services' reorganization. The office's handful of staff were not told whether they would remain employed in the federal government or whether the office would close immediately or wind down operations over time. 'We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week,' the email reads. 'We are proud of what we have accomplished together advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID.' One HHS employee who works on long Covid, granted anonymity to share details of the move, argued closing the office would not save much money and could cost more over time. Not only could suspending the office's coordination work lead to overlapping and duplicated efforts, the employee said, but also abandoning work that could cure long Covid means the country's health care system will have to provide years if not decades of costly care for millions of chronically ill people. 'We did the not-sexy, behind-the-scenes work that it takes to make the federal government function well,' the staffer said. 'We made sure doctors at the VA are talking to scientists and researchers and epidemiologists at CDC and NIH — that they're learning from each other. It was a very, very cost effective way to make sure that people are talking to each other and that we're making the best use of federal resources.' The decision appears to contradict promises that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made during his confirmation hearing to prioritize long Covid research and his repeated pledge to focus on chronic diseases. 'It is very disappointing and risks undoing a lot of the progress that has been made to address the crisis,' one former senior HHS official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told POLITICO. A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OLC, housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, was established in 2023 and tasked with helping other agencies and HHS leadership address long Covid and coordinating a government-wide long Covid strategy. Last month, the Trump administration directed HHS to terminate the Federal Advisory Committee on Long Covid . 'While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form,' the email reads.
