No Warning, No Support: Feds Slash Funding, Forcing Layoffs at MDH

Federal cuts will put the public health of Minnesotans at risk, impacting everything from support for nursing homes to response times to infectious disease outbreaks, and result in significant job losses at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

On April 1, the MDH sent layoff and separation notices to 170 employees whose positions were funded by recently terminated federal grants. Additionally, “at risk” notices will be going to MDH staff at risk for layoffs due to seniority rules around layoffs. An estimated 300 notices are going to MDH employees. In addition, nearly 20 employees slated to start with the department in the last week have had their offers rescinded.

These layoffs and separations are a direct consequence of the unprecedented and unexpected action by the federal government last week to cut more than $220 million in previously approved federal funding. These layoffs and separations will impact services across the agency that Minnesotans rely on, including those that support the state’s response to measles and H5N1, wastewater surveillance, the state’s public health laboratory, and community clinics and vaccination efforts....

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