Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a sweeping reorganization of the department, eliminating 10,000 positions in an effort to cut bureaucracy, increase transparency, and return focus to public health priorities. The move, described as a major overhaul, will streamline the sprawling agency by consolidating its 28 divisions into 15 under a new entity: the Administration for a Healthy America (A.H.A.).
In a direct address to the public, Kennedy emphasized the need for accountability and efficiency. “We’re going to do more with less,” he said, while acknowledging the transition will be difficult. This initiative builds on earlier efforts, reducing HHS staff from 82,000 to 62,000 employees.
Kennedy has taken aim at systemic inefficiencies, citing an overwhelming number of redundant departments—over 100 communication offices, more than 40 I.T. departments, and multiple HR and procurement units—many of which operate in isolation. “When I arrived, I found that over half of our employees don’t even come to work,” he said. “That’s not sustainable.”
The reorganization brings once-scattered operations under tighter leadership, allowing the Secretary greater oversight of key agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH. Kennedy’s critics have long questioned his reformist stance, but supporters view this bold move as necessary to modernize a bloated federal agency that touches the lives of every American.
The Administration for a Healthy America marks a new chapter for HHS—one rooted in fiscal responsibility, responsiveness, and a renewed commitment to health outcomes over bureaucracy.
