Minnesota’s health department is laying off 170 employees whose positions were funded by pandemic-era federal grants to the state that were recently terminated by the administration of President

The reduction is expected to have wide-reaching consequences for the state's public health efforts, according to MDH Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham.

Federal cuts are hitting home for hundreds of employees at the Minnesota Department of Health. MDH says about 300 employees received layoff or 'at risk' notices Tuesday. The action comes after the federal government slashed more than $220 million in grant money last week.