A restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will combine several agencies, including NIOSH, in a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) within HHS. Joining NIOSH in AHA will be the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Other changes announced recently include the creation of a new position, the assistant secretary for enforcement, to “combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health programs,” according to HHS; and a new Office of Strategy, which will absorb the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The Administration for Strategic Preparedness (ASPR), which is responsible for medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies, will transfer to CDC.
The restructuring will reduce the number of divisions within HHS from 28 to 15 and result in a reduction of full-time federal workers from 82,000 to 62,000. According to HHS, the changes will save $1.8 billion per year. For more information, refer to the announcement on the HHS website.
A fact sheet accompanying the announcement indicates that the existing CDC workforce will be reduced by approximately 2,400. The transfer of ASPR will bring 1,000 workers to CDC, resulting in a net loss of 1,400 employees.
IHMM is a part of the Intersociety Forum of workplace safety organizations and we are scheduling a meeting to review and determine our reaction to these changes.