Overview
- A New York Times investigation published June 7 reports that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is often disengaged from daily management, attends key division meetings infrequently, and is described by colleagues as 'checked out'.
- The reporting says many top posts are unfilled or held by acting officials, including about half of NIH centers run by acting directors and the CDC led by an acting director who also runs NIH.
- Current and former employees tell outlets the department has lost roughly 17,000 staff since the administration took office, producing sharp drops in morale and institutional knowledge.
- Kennedy reportedly routes decisions and meeting requests through a small circle led by longtime adviser Stefanie Spear, and has made few public comments or CDC briefings about the recent WHO-declared Ebola emergency.
- Public health experts warn that the mix of vacancies, turnover, and centralized decision-making could weaken crisis communications and the federal coordination HHS provides to states and international partners during outbreaks.