NEW YORK -- On Wednesday, the chief executive of the US public health agency announced organizational changes. agile.
Planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset” — will prevent COVID-19, monkeypox, and other public health threats from , amid continued criticism of the agency's response to Changes include internal staffing changes and procedures to speed up data release.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told agency staff about the change on Wednesday. She said this was her CDC initiative and not directed by the White House or other government officials.
"It's been a really difficult three years for her and I feel it's my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place," Wallenski told her Associated Press.
With a budget of $12 billion and her more than 11,000 employees, the CDC is the Atlanta-based federal agency that protects Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. I have a duty to protect you. While it is customary for each CDC director to make some sort of reorganization, Wallenski's actions came within a broader demand for change.
The agency, which focuses on data collection and analysis, has long been criticized for being too heavy-handed and not acting swiftly on emerging health threats. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, public dissatisfaction with government agencies increased dramatically. Experts say the CDC is aware of the amount of virus that has entered the United States from Europe, recommends people wear masks, says the virus can spread through the air, and systematically kills new variants. It took me some time to harden my tests.
"Frankly, we learned during the COVID outbreak that the structure of the CDC was not designed to take information, digest it, and disseminate it to the public at the speed needed." Public Health of Yale University.
Wallenski, who took over as director in January 2021, has long said agencies need to move faster and communicate better. I kept stumbling.
In April, she asked for a detailed review of her agency, resulting in the announcement of changes. Her reorganization proposal must be approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. CDC officials say they hope to have the full package of changes finalized, approved, and on track by early next year.
Some changes are still being worked out, but the steps announced Wednesday are:
- rather than waiting for research to go through peer review and publication, According to the CDC journal's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which increases the use of preprinted scientific reports to obtain actionable data.
- Agency Communications Her office will be restructured and the CDC website will be further revamped to make agency guidance for the public clearer and easier to find.
— Change the length of time agency leaders devote to the outbreak response to at least six months attempt.
— Creation of a new Executive Council to help Wallenski set strategy and priorities.
— Appoint Mary Wakefield as her Senior Counselor to implement the changes. Wakefield led the Department of Health Resource Services during the Obama administration and served as second director of HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday.
— Change the organization charts of government agencies to undo some changes made during the Trump administration.
— Facilitate partnerships with other agencies. establish an intergovernmental secretariat for the promotion of health equity, and a higher level secretariat on health equity.
Wallenski also said, "We're going to remove some of the existing reporting layers, and we want to work to break down some of the silos." What does that entail? He didn't say exactly. But he stressed that the overall change would be less about redrawing the org chart than rethinking how the CDC does business and motivates its staff.
"This is more than just moving boxes," she said of the org chart. He said the shortcomings in the government's response extend beyond the CDC.
The reorganization of the CDC is a positive step, but "hopefully it's not the end of the story," she said, Schwartz. He would like to see a "broader explanation" of how the federal government will deal with the health crisis. The department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute department. AP is solely responsible for all content.