Patient volumes at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center have fallen sharply in recent months, coinciding with staffing disruptions at HHS and the cancellation of research grants under the Trump administration, according to an Aug. 7 report from KFF Health News.
According to the report, which is based on current and former NIH workers and documents reviewed by the publication, the average number of patients treated daily at the facility declined from February through April. The average number of daily patients across the three-month period was between 60 and 80, with volumes in April at the lower end. By the end of April, that figure had declined by 5.7% from the same period last year. Additionally, the number of cancer patients participating in cancer trials was down 20% as of July compared to last year.
As of April 30, NIH documents also showed outpatient visits fell 8.5% over the same period in the last fiscal year.
Current and former agency officials linked the drops in patient volumes to ongoing disruption within the agency, stemming from mass layoffs and the termination of grants for research on health disparities, vaccines and other programs. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion, and gender-related programs, leading to the termination of more than 2,100 NIH grants as of June. HHS has laid off more than 1,200 NIH employees this year.
The facility has seen an exodus of clinicians and scientists the past few months, affecting the number of patients who can be seen, according to the report.
The NIH Clinical Center is a 200-bed research hospital that provides care at no cost to patients participating in clinical trials, many of whom have rare or life-threatening illnesses. Patients from abroad also travel to the facility for care, though the report noted that recent immigration policy changes have contributed to a decline in international patient visits.
Before the start of President Trump’s second term, the hospital was already seeing fewer patients than it did pre-pandemic, when it averaged more than 110 per day. Volumes have since increased but remained below pre-2020 levels, with an average of 81 daily patients in fiscal 2024.
In a statement to KFF Health News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the center “remains fully operational and continues to provide world-class clinical research and patient care. Every day, patients from across the country and around the globe come here to participate in cutting-edge studies that drive scientific discovery and improve health outcomes.
“We are committed to fully leveraging its capabilities as the nation’s hub for clinical research innovation. Our focus remains on empowering the research community and advancing the critical mission of making medical breakthroughs possible right here on the NIH campus.”
