Oklahoma Health Department Staff Laid Off

Oklahoma Health Department Staff Laid Off

On December 8, 2017, the Oklahoma State Department of Health laid off 37 people and announced that a further 161 would be laid off in coming months. According to media reports, the layoffs were prompted by of a $30 billion budget gap at the Department of Health, allegedly due to misuse of federal funds.

Also due to the budget gap, the Department of Health has been unable to fill a number of open positions, including in its epidemiology office. Four of the office’s 13 positions are currently unfilled, leading to concerns that the department will be ill equipped to deal with future disease outbreaks.