CDC ‘Disease Detectors’ Among Hundreds Fired as Trump Administration Ramps Up Agency Cuts
The Trump administration has terminated hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including fellows responsible for key public health roles, according to two sources who spoke to NBC News at the agency.
Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) Fellows Among Those Fired
Among those affected were about two dozen workers who made up the Laboratory Leadership Service, or LLS, a group responsible for training public health laboratory staffers and supporting outbreak response efforts. The two-year fellowship program, launched in 2015, focused on laboratory safety and regulatory compliance.
"We have come up with a new slogan for LLS: ‘the disease detectors.’ If you’re not testing, you don’t know what disease is there," a current fellow, who was among those who received termination notices, told NBC News.
Termination Emails Cite Poor Performance, Despite Excellent Reviews
Termination emails, sent to LLS staff members on Saturday evening, cited poor performance as the reason for the firings, even though most of the dismissed employees had "excellent" performance reviews, a mid-level CDC official said.
Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Program Also Under Threat
Multiple outlets reported that a larger sister program at CDC, the Epidemic Intelligence Service, or EIS, known as the agency’s "disease detectives," was expected to be cut significantly, as well. As of Sunday, however, the two officials who spoke to NBC News had not heard of firings at EIS. One, a senior CDC official, said everyone who was going to be terminated had been notified by Sunday.
Other Departments with Cuts
Other departments that had cuts included the Presidential Management Fellows, which aims to develop future public health leaders, and the Public Health Associate Program, which assigns fellows to local health agencies, the two officials said.
Lack of Transparency and Chaos
The termination process has been marked by chaos and a lack of transparency. Almost two weeks ago, the Office of Personnel Management assigned CDC leadership to look through a list of employees who were in probationary or term-limited positions — including new directors, fellows, and highly skilled non-citizen scientists — and designate each as "must be retained," "mission critical," or "not mission critical." According to the two CDC officials, the lists did not appear to have been used in the ultimate firing decisions.
Conclusion
The cuts at CDC are likely to have a significant impact on the agency’s ability to respond to public health crises and maintain its workforce. The LLS fellows, in particular, have played a crucial role in detecting and responding to outbreaks, and their loss will be felt.
FAQs
- What is the Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS)?
The LLS is a two-year fellowship program that trains public health laboratory staffers and supports outbreak response efforts. - What is the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)?
The EIS is a program at CDC known as the agency’s "disease detectives," responsible for detecting and responding to public health threats. - What is the Presidential Management Fellows program?
The Presidential Management Fellows program aims to develop future public health leaders. - What is the Public Health Associate Program?
The Public Health Associate Program assigns fellows to local health agencies to work on public health projects. - Why were the cuts made at CDC?
The cuts were made as part of the administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
