Mississippi’s Health Department fired employees working on preventive health and health equity issues, people familiar with the personnel decision told Mississippi Today. 

An employee who was terminated Wednesday spoke to Mississippi Today on condition of anonymity because of concerns about repercussions in future job searches. The former employee said they were one of about 10 people laid off from jobs dealing with preventive health and elimination of health disparities. 

The Health Department downsized what it had called the “Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity” partially in response to issues outlined in a Sept. 22 report published by the Office of State Auditor Shad White, according to a person outside the department who was briefed on the firings and spoke to Mississippi Today under condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency decisions. The report alleged the Health Department failed to properly monitor taxpayer funds directed to the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity.

Greg Flynn, spokesperson for the state Health Department, confirmed the department made staffing “adjustments” but would not say how many employees were laid off or in which offices. He declined to comment on the auditor’s report but said programs and outreach around preventive health and health disparities continue to exist.

“With uncertainty around federal funding, we’ve made personnel adjustments to protect essential direct services and keep the focus on the health of Mississippi families,” Flynn said. “Our priority is ensuring stability and continuity for the communities we serve.”

The former Health Department employee who spoke to Mississippi Today said they did not receive a direct response when they asked whether the layoffs were caused by the federal government shutdown that began on Wednesday, hours before the employee was terminated. Rather, the person was told that as a state employee without civil service protection, they could be dismissed without cause. 

The Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity worked on programs dealing with chronic disease prevention and healthy living, according to an April 2024 social media post published by the Health Department. 

“Our Health Equity Office ensures fair healthcare access for all,” the post said. “Together, we’re building a healthier, more equitable MS!” 

Financial documents from the Health Department make reference to an Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity, but there is no mention of such an office on the Department’s Preventive Health page or Health Disparities Office page. 

The auditor’s report said the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity failed to properly monitor some taxpayer funds awarded to nonprofits through subgrants. Thousands of dollars were spent on gift cards, grocery cards and gym memberships with “little documentation about who benefited,” the report said. 

A Ridgeland-based nonprofit was awarded over $250,000 by the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity through a two-year grant to be used for disease prevention for “underserved Mississippians.” The Health Department often reimbursed the nonprofit without proper documentation to prove the expenditures were appropriate, the report said. 

In a statement to Mississippi Today, White said the Auditor’s Office found state agencies have been giving tax dollars to groups with little accountability for how the money is spent. 

“So it’s no surprise to us that agencies are starting to make some changes now that our reports have been made public and taxpayers are starting to ask more questions about how their money is spent,” White said. 

This isn’t the first time the Health Department has come under fire by the Auditor’s Office for work it outsourced to nonprofits. 

In May, the Auditor’s Office said the Health Department failed to adequately oversee how nonprofits were using federal funds to address HIV prevention. The Auditor’s Office found that only 35 HIV tests were administered between 2021 and 2024, while the nonprofits received reimbursements for alcohol, late-night rideshares, purchases from a smoke shop and rental of a nightclub owned by one group’s executive director. 

The Health Department said the lapses were “unacceptable” and did not “reflect the value of many nonprofit partners we continue to work with across Mississippi.”

Even before White’s September report criticizing the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity, President Donald Trump and Republicans around the country have criticized programs the word “equity” in their names. 

The programs have been said to violate federal and state regulations banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs.  

Mississippi has some of the highest rates of preventable diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, all of which are more common in Black residents in the state. These conditions contribute to maternal and infant mortality, in which Mississippi also leads the nation.

Update 10/2/2025: This story has been updated to add information about Mississippi’s health disparties.