Retiring CDC Director Rochelle Wallenski will be replaced by former North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.
Brian Anderson/AP
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Brian Anderson/AP
Retiring CDC Director Rochelle Wallenski will be replaced by former North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.
Brian Anderson/AP
President Biden Nominates Former Premier Dr. Mandy Cohen health secretary Inaugurated as the next leader of the North Carolina Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Biden praised Cohen for his experience and leadership in the announcement. “Dr. Cohen is one of America’s top physicians and health leaders,” Biden said in his statement.[She] Her abilities are recognized by leaders of both parties.” [to] Find common ground and put complex policies into action. ”
Cohen, 44, is a physician who has held senior state, federal and private sector positions. From 2017 to 2021, she served as North Carolina’s Secretary of Health, working to expand access to healthcare for low-income residents and being the face of the state’s COVID-19 response during the public health emergency.
She left her current position as an executive at healthcare company Aledade to head the CDC, a federal agency whose morale and reputation have been severely damaged by its response to the pandemic. She will assume her responsibilities from her current director, Dr. Rochelle Wallenski, and June 30 will be her last day of work.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Friday in a statement welcoming Cohen’s appointment, “Her experience at both the federal and state levels will make her a better choice for me today, tomorrow, and in the years to come. We will be able to meet the challenges we face.”
Supporters expect Cohen to be an experienced leader in public health and politics
Those who know Cohen describe her as a strong manager and communicator who tackles difficult tasks head-on.
“I think she’s just the right choice,” said Biden’s former adviser and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who promoted her to the position of chief of staff and chief operating officer at CMS during his tenure. says Andy Slavitt.
The CDC “needs someone who understands how to make health and public health a reality in people’s lives, how to run things operationally, and how to boost the morale and culture of a badly wounded government agency. said Slavitt, who advised the Bidens. Talks with the government and Dr. Cohen about the search for the next CDC director.
Cohen could be the last CDC director appointed without Senate confirmation (CDC director appointments will require congressional approval from January 2025). 2023 Omnibus Bill).
She will likely face constant criticism from some Republicans in Congress. Held multiple public hearings About what they frame as something the CDC has failed to lead in recent years. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Special Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, said, “Throughout the pandemic, the CDC has issued confusing and confusing statements. announced,” he said. at a recent hearing With outgoing CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Wallensky, “the American public felt disappointed, often deceived and left hurt instead of being a calm and reliable spokesperson for science and reason.”
Supporters say Cohen has served in both the Obama administration and the North Carolina government, making him an adept at steering politics. It’s a necessary skill for her, who advocates giving government agencies more money and broader powers.
“One of the things that she’s brought from working for a Democratic governor is [Roy Cooper] Republican states are trying to find words that bring people together rather than fan the noise of political debate,” said Mary Lou, the former Massachusetts secretary of health and human services who consulted frequently with Cohen during the pandemic. Mr Sudders said.
Those who have worked with Cohen describe her as an excellent manager and leader.
“She is an expert in people management and policy enforcement,” he says. Natalie Davis, CEO of the nonprofit health advocacy group United States of Care, who once served under Cohen as an Obama administration staff. “She is a strategist and manager, she has a vision for all teams and people and knows how to make it happen. [make it] work.”
Can Cohen rebuild the CDC after the pandemic?
CDC is an institution out of 10,000 employeeswas tasked with protect the public from threats to their health and safety.Internally, the agency suffering from wear and tear Morale has also plummeted in the face of criticism for the politicization and poor communication in its response to the pandemic.
Outgoing director Dr. Rochelle Wallenski previously documented some of the station’s “pretty dramatic, pretty public” mistakes in an internal video for staff previously seen by NPR. Rebuild Senior Leadership Some government agencies have been organized in recent months to help the CDC be more agile in responding to health threats.
“It will be important to have a CDC director who is attentive, spends time with the staff, and helps the CDC bounce back and regain its confidence,” he said. Dr. Marcus PreciaChief Medical Officer of the Association of State and Territory Health Officials.
One of Cohen’s biggest challenges will be restoring public trust and confidence.
Trust in the U.S. government is nearing historical lows, According to a 2022 Pew Research poll – Only 20% of Americans say they trust their government to do the right thing most of the time. And when it comes to public health in particular, a 2021 poll by the Harvard School of Public Health found that just half of those surveyed in the United States have a lot of trust in the CDC.
Cohen’s focus is on the theme in her graduation address at the University of Guildford last month.
“Trust in governments, media, businesses and other institutions has been eroding in recent years. This lack of trust has led to polarization and fragmentation, making it difficult to solve the key problems facing the world,” she said. rice field.
Cohen says coronavirus has built trust with North Carolinians Dr Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association. “She was always to the point, transparent, and she was passionate about telling the public,” he says.[In public health], must be able to effectively express the decisions she makes, and she does it better than anyone else. ”
In addition to leading the CDC and defending its budget and powers in Washington, the new director faces growing public health concerns.
“We have the obesity epidemic, the opioid epidemic, the firearms epidemic,” says Benjamin. “We have a growing number of sexually transmitted diseases, and we are working to address HIV/AIDS.” In addition, there are emerging childhood vaccines for COVID-19, Ebola, bird flu, polio and poliomyelitis. There is also the possibility of outbreaks due to preventable diseases. measles.
“Public health has been and will continue to be busy,” Benjamin said. “Rebuilding America’s public health system must be a top priority.”
