In her initial large staff meeting, Dr. Erica Schwartz, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pledged to support the agency. She acknowledged that congressionally funded programs were understaffed and employees were experiencing burnout.
Dr. Schwartz stated she would not hesitate to privately disagree with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but emphasized she would avoid public disputes.
Having assumed leadership of the Atlanta-based federal agency recently, Dr. Schwartz addressed CDC staff during her first full team meeting. An Associated Press recording of the meeting captured her remarks.
She referenced a recent AP report highlighting CDC programs with congressional funding that are ineffective because the necessary personnel were laid off during President Donald Trump’s administration or are still absent.
Dr. Schwartz did not specify her plans to address these “zombie” programs and staff fatigue, but expressed her intention to engage with CDC employees to understand the issues and explore solutions.
“The good news is, I’m here,” she remarked. “I’m in my first week, and now I can advocate for the CDC. It’s challenging without consistent leadership.”
Previously, Dr. Schwartz has served in uniformed roles with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Service. She emphasized her practice of privately addressing discrepancies with leaders, continuing her uniformed service approach.
Promising to boost public confidence in the agency, she committed to “radical transparency, scientific rigor, and honest communications,” aligning with language used by Kennedy. Dr. Schwartz is the 22nd leader of the CDC, charged with guarding Americans against preventable health risks.
She recognized the agency’s challenges, largely attributed to layoffs and departures. Over 3,000 employees, exceeding a quarter of the agency’s workforce, have exited, leading to plummeting morale. Temporary leaders have cycled through, while political appointees without medical or public health expertise filled leadership roles.
Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine stance, contravened CDC research and suggestions, even disbanding an expert advisory committee, replacing it with his own panel, including vaccine skeptics.
During the meeting, CDC employees posed inquiries, including one concerning Trump’s executive order advocating spaced-out childhood vaccine schedules, a theory he supports despite being discredited.
Dr. Schwartz announced the creation of a task force focused on childhood vaccine safety, on which she serves. The panel has yet to convene but must report to Trump within 90 days.
Current and former CDC staff noted Dr. Schwartz’s sincerity but await her actions. The National Public Health Coalition, representing CDC workers, released a statement post-meeting.
“CDC staff and Americans deserve a strong, independent leader to uphold science, defend public health, and prioritize the public’s health and safety over political pressures,” the statement asserted. “Dr. Schwartz has spoken about rebuilding trust, which must be earned through action.”
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, though AP maintains full editorial responsibility.
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