Federal health agencies told to halt all external communications

Employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were told to halt all public communications Tuesday.

NPR obtained a memo issued by the acting head of HHS, Dr. Dorothy Fink, to the heads of all the agency's operating divisions, directing them to refrain from most external communications, such as issuing documents, guidance or notices, until such documents can be approved by "a presidential appointee."

The action is "consistent with precedent," according to the memo, and applies until Feb. 1. The communications freeze was first reported by The Washington Post. It also includes public speaking and social media.

"I look at what's going on as this administration coming in and getting their ducks in a row," said one federal official, who spoke to NPR on the condition that they not be named for fear their job could be at risk. "I think this will be temporary. How temporary? That remains to be seen. There are a lot of discussions going on right now."

One HHS employee who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity out of fear for their job said it was unclear whether their team would receive permission to post information they had planned to release this week.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, president of the American Public Health Association, said he was giving the HHS team that issued this memo "the benefit of the doubt that they're simply trying to get their hands around the administration — this is a big government." He did find the memo surprising and said that it could create confusion.

He also asserted the pause could have been avoided if there had been a smoother transition between the Biden and Trump administrations.

There are 13 operating divisions at HHS, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Institutes of Health, as well as other lesser-known health agencies. Overall, HHS has one of the biggest budgets in the federal government — $1.7 trillion annually — and employs about 90,000 people across these agencies.

Fink wrote in Tuesday's memo that some exceptions would be made for communications affecting "critical health, safety, environmental, financial or nation security functions," but that those would be subject to review. It also warned that any items or actions inconsistent with the request for review should be immediately withdrawn.

"HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health," Benjamin N. Haynes, director of media relations for the CDC's Office of Communications, said in a statement. "This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis."

When NPR tried to reach media contacts at CMS and FDA, they referred inquiries to HHS. Media contacts at the Health Resources and Services Administration and the NIH did not reply to requests for comment.

The head of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Dr. Joseph Kanter, wrote to NPR in a statement that his group's assumption is that "the new Administration is taking time to assess the current public health landscape." He added that he understands the communication pause "will be short-lived, and that an expedited pathway exists to ensure that critical information reaches clinicians and health officials in a timely manner."

President Trump's nominee to lead HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will stand for his confirmation hearing next Wednesday. His prospects for confirmation by the Senate are unclear.

Will Stone and Carmel Wroth contributed reporting.
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