Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, along with former leaders of other divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), signed a letter on LinkedIn that highlights the critical role of HHS staff who were let go in mass layoffs that began on February 13.
The letter was posted this week in response to the thousands of employees from federal agencies who were fired or laid off as a result of job cuts by the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by billionaire Elon Musk.
It was signed by Brooks-LaSure, who served under the Biden administration and is now a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank; and the former leaders of the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, Administration for Children and Families, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
The letter said the arbitrary removal of HHS staff will cause the health and well-being of families and communities across the country to suffer. These federal employees were essential to making sure food and water is safe; running the health insurance programs that cover half of all Americans; ensuring that hospitals, dialysis centers, and nursing homes provide quality care; finding cures and treatment for diseases; running the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other mental health services; combatting the opioid and fentanyl crisis; getting primary care to rural communities, providing support to new mothers and their babies; ensuring that families have access to affordable high-quality childcare; ensuring that new drugs and devices are safe and effective; detecting and responding to infectious disease threats across the country; and helping survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and children in foster care.
“These individuals are not numbers on a spreadsheet,” the letter said. “They are dedicated and passionate public health who have committed their careers to working on behalf of the American people. We owe them a debt of gratitude, not a pink slip.”
Brooks-LaSure spoke further about the effects of the job cuts at an event sponsored by Politico on Wednesday. She told attendees she was concerned DOGE is moving too fast without fully understanding what the programs do and the cuts were “damaging.”
In recognition of the recent transitions within the federal government, and as a dedicated convener of individuals working to address social determinants of health, RISE is offering a limited number of complimentary passes to current and former government employees exploring new career opportunities to attend the 9th Annual RISE Summit on SDoH, taking place April 7-9 in Louisville, KY. The event will gather more than 500 professionals in the health equity space who share a passion to address social determinants of health. If you or someone you know is interested, please reach out to Marina Adamsky at madamsky@fraconferences.com.