U.S. Surgeon General John F. Kennedy Jr. cut 10,000 jobs in an overhaul of his department

U.S. Health Secretary John F. Kennedy Jr. will dramatically reduce the size of his department, eliminating about 10,000 full-time jobs and closing regional offices.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Thursday that the cuts, along with about 10,000 previously voluntary departures, will reduce the department's total full-time workforce from 82,000 to 62,000.

"We're not just reducing bureaucracy bloat, but aligning our organizational structure and core mission with our new priority of reversing chronic disease," Kennedy Jr. said.

Kennedy Jr. currently oversees several high-profile agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As part of the reorganization, the Department of Health and Human Services' 28 original units will be consolidated into 15 agencies, including a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), The office of addiction, toxic substances and occupational safety within the Department of Health and Human Services would be consolidated into a central agency.

In addition, the new department will centralize functions such as external affairs, human resources and information technology.

President Donald Trump and Musk, a billionaire ally who runs the government efficiency Department, have been cutting agencies in an effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy.