So, like, a bunch of employees from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were spotted waiting outside this Switzer Memorial Building in D.C. Apparently, the Trump administration decided to axe staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. They’re on a mission to cut like 10,000 jobs at HHS. Crazy, right? This all went down on April 1, 2025. Kevin Lamarque was there to capture the moment.
According to some insider peeps, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is shaking things up at HHS. He’s making some deep cuts to divisions that focus on helping minority and underserved peeps improve their health and eliminate disparities. Like, whoa. The HHS Office of Minority Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) are feeling the heat. And it’s not just them – other offices at the FDA, CDC, CMS, HRSA, and SAMHSA are also getting hit.
Experts are saying these cuts could make health disparities in the U.S. even worse. Dr. Stephanie Ettinger De Cuba from Boston University is, like, really concerned. She thinks everyone is gonna feel the impact, not just minorities. She’s worried that cutting staff from these offices is gonna mess things up for everyone.
The Trump administration can’t shut these offices down completely ’cause it’s against the law. But they’re definitely looking to scale back what NIMHD and the other offices do. Brandyn Churchill, a professor at American University, thinks they wanna limit their authority and resources.
Health disparities are a big problem in the U.S., affecting peeps of color, folks in rural areas, low-income communities, and those with disabilities. These groups often have worse health outcomes and less access to care. The COVID-19 pandemic made these issues even more glaring, showing how poverty and racism play a role in health disparities.
Experts say addressing these disparities is key to improving public health overall. It could also save the U.S. a ton of cash. A study found that racial and ethnic health disparities cost the economy a whopping $451 billion in 2018.
Kennedy is making big changes at HHS. He’s slashing 10,000 jobs and creating a new agency called the Administration for a Healthy America. It’s gonna combine a bunch of existing offices, like HRSA, SAMHSA, and more. The plan is to make HHS more “responsive and efficient.”
But, like, cutting staff at minority health offices might not be the best move. Some experts think these offices are actually pretty important for targeting problem areas efficiently. Nathan Boucher, a research professor at Duke, feels like this could backfire. He thinks having these minority health offices helps government orgs be more accountable in serving the peeps who need it most.
The future of these offices is kinda up in the air right now. It might take a while to see the full effects of these cuts. Samantha Artiga from KFF thinks losing staff could mean missing out on crucial data. And without that data, it’s gonna be hard to address health disparities.
Overall, these cuts could have a lasting impact on peeps who rely on these offices for support. Community-based organizations might have to scale back programs, and research efforts could take a hit. Philanthropy can’t fill the gap left by the government. So, yeah, things are definitely uncertain right now.
In the end, these cuts could make it harder to tackle health disparities and protect the peeps who need it most. Let’s hope things turn around for the better soon.
