CDC‘s Key Health Data Center Hit by Repeated Layoffs, Raising Concerns Over Data Integrity
Washington, D.C. – The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a critical component of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responsible for tracking the nation’s health, is reeling from a series of Reduction in Force (RIF) actions that have impacted key personnel and sparked fears about the future of objective health data collection. The layoffs, occurring amidst a now three-week federal government shutdown, have targeted a broad range of NCHS divisions, and a temporary restraining order issued by a San Francisco judge is currently halting further RIFs.
The impact has been widespread, affecting: the Office of Planning, Budget, and Legislation – responsible for Congressional relations and funding; research units including mathematical statisticians and behavioral scientists who validate survey designs; planning branches within health care survey divisions; and the administrative and management teams handling essential HR and logistical support.
“If the government were open, the impact of these RIFs would be debilitating,” explained an NCHS source, who requested anonymity. “In addition to the time spent trying to figure out what is going on, adjusting to the gaps at best would take a lot of time. This time means that the health data needed to make informed decisions and assessments of the governance’s health priorities would not be available.Even if the planning groups for the two survey programs are reinstated, the gaps in the administration, management, IT, publications, budget, and research will hobble the programs.”
The NCHS is mandated by federal law to maintain nonpartisan reporting, aligning it wiht the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics as part of a core statistical system. Experts warn that compromising this objectivity could undermine the validity of NCHS findings.
“They are critical in providing answers on what the effects are as a result of the federal policy changes that this administration is implementing,” said Dr. Paul lau, now editor in chief of the American Journal of Public Health. “Don’t they want to know if their changes are making America healthy again? Without objective, nonpartisan data from NCHS, they cannot do that.”
The situation has been marked by instability, with some employees receiving and then having their RIF notices rescinded multiple times. Several individuals were initially laid off on February 14th,only to have their RIFs overturned,then laid off again on October 10th,followed by another rescission.
“It’s dizzying and demoralizing thinking that you can be let go anytime,” Lau stated.
A temporary restraining order, issued by a judge in San Francisco and available here, currently prevents further RIFs during the shutdown. Though, the long-term impact on the agency’s ability to fulfill its vital role in tracking and analyzing national health trends remains a notable concern.
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