Scoop: 950 Indian Health Service employees laid off.

The valuable public health program is already under-staffed. All probationary staff were told they would be laid off by the Trump administration.

Some late news that I believe we are BREAKING here in Inside Medicine. Here’s what we know…

UPDATE: Sources tell me that since the all-hands virtual meeting with remarks from the Deputy Director of the Indian Health Service (audio below), employees were told that physician and nurses may be exempt from the terminations. So, nobody actually knows who has been terminated, and it is possible that some people received termination notices in error (if the physician and nurse exemption is accurate).

All to say “chaos” is everywhere, and the administration is breaking things before understanding them.

---

But first…if you want to support work like this please share and support Inside Medicine. Thank you!

---

Indian Health Service probationary employees receive Friday afternoon layoff notices.

Two sources at the Indian Health Service told Inside Medicine that 950 probationary employees—those serving less than one or two years—were laid off on Friday, without any explanation. This accounts for 18% of the IHS.

“I mean to his credit [Deputy Director] Benjamin Smith choked up,” one of the sources told me.

“You are valued,” Smith said in an address to IHS staff. An audio recording of Smith’s remarks was obtained by Inside Medicine. “I’m very sorry to have to share unfortunate news, especially on Valentine’s Day.” (Two recordings are included at the bottom of this article.)

Deputy Smith said he was informed of this news by the Office of Personnel Management, which has been carrying out President Trump’s mass terminations of federal employees since he took office. He told the staff that he had not yet seen the termination notices, so he could not convey any further details. But he also shared that some employees had already received the layoff notices, while others affected had not, but would soon.

Smith said that a prior exemption request from IHS was sent to the Trump administration, asking that IHS employees be spared from these actions. The request included the 950 probationary employees (among the 2,200 IHS employees) but remains unanswered.

The IHS provides 2.2 million American Indian and Alaska Natives medical care, from 26 hospitals, 59 health centers, and other resources.

An emotional leader…

“Let me end by saying this. I know I speak on behalf of the entire Indian Health Service leadership team when I say that each and every employee is appreciated and valued. You have all dedicated your careers to being of service to and taking care of our native people….It breaks my heart to have to share this with you,” Smith said.

As the message concluded, Smith could audibly be heard becoming emotional. Choking back tears, he told the staff, “We stand with you.”

That’s what we know for now. Thanks for reading, sharing, speaking out, and supporting Inside Medicine! Please ask your questions in the comments and if you can’t upgrade due to financial considerations, just email me.