SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Health says 170 employees have been laid off because their positions were funded by $220 million in recently terminated federal grants.
MDH adds notices will be going out to 300 staff at-risk of layoffs because of seniority rules around layoffs. Nearly 20 employees scheduled to start with the department in the last week have had their offers rescinded.
When asked if employees with the MDH District Office in Fergus Falls have been impacted by layoffs or at-risk notices, a department spokesperson says she doesn’t have specifics regarding employee locations. She says the department expects the impacts of the cuts to be felt statewide.
MDH says layoffs will impact the state’s response to measles and bird flu, wastewater surveillance, the state’s public health laboratory, community clinics and vaccination efforts. They will also reduce support for nursing homes including HVAC upgrades and staff training around disease prevention.
“We are working now to figure out how much of this critical public health work we can save and continue,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham. “The sudden and unexpected action from the federal government left us with no choice but to proceed with layoffs immediately. It is devastating to be forced to reduce critical services and give notices to so many dedicated public health professionals because the federal government decided to renege on its commitment to our state. They left us in the lurch, with no advance notice, no close-out period, halting work that would have helped us address chronic gaps in the system and be better prepared for future threats.”
