Patient numbers at NIH hospital have plummeted under Trump, jeopardizing care

Briana Lupea

KFF Health News Aug 7 2025 The number of people receiving treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center — the renowned research hospital that cares for patients with rare or life-threatening diseases — has tumbled under the second Trump administration, according to government documents and interviews with current and former NIH employees. NIH documents viewed by KFF Health News show a pronounced decline in patients at the 200-bed hospital from February through April, a time