The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders are calling it a “reset” — come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staff moves and steps to speed up data traffic. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told agency staff about the changes Wednesday. It is a CDC initiative and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, he said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really tough three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. speaks during the Federal Hearing on the COVID Response on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The Atlanta-based agency, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s common for any CDC director to do some reorganization, but Walensky’s action comes amid a broader demand for change. “I think the public health infrastructure in the country was not capable of handling this pandemic,” Walensky told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John LaPook. “We’ve learned some tough lessons over the last three years and as part of that it’s my responsibility, it’s the organization’s responsibility, to learn from those lessons and do better.” The agency has long been criticized for being too heavy-handed, focusing on data collection and analysis but not acting quickly against new health threats. Public dissatisfaction with the agency has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much of the virus entered the U.S. from Europe, recommend people wear masks, say the virus can spread through the air and speed up routine testing for new variants. “We saw during COVID that the structures of the CDC, frankly, were not designed to receive information, digest it and disseminate it to the public with the speed that was needed,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health. Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency needs to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure. In April, he called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. “It’s not lost on me that we fell behind in a lot of ways” in responding to the coronavirus, Walensky said. “We’ve had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of that effort has been holding up the mirror … to figure out where and how we can do better.” He told CBS News that the agency should have “special forces” deployed during pandemics. “I have no doubt that they are up to the task,” he told LaPook. Its reorganization proposal must be approved by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and in place by early next year. Some changes are still being shaped, but the steps announced Wednesday include:
Increasing use of preprinted scientific reports to obtain actionable data, rather than waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the journal CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further upgrading CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance to the public clearer and easier to follow. Changing the amount of time agency leaders spend on outbreak responses to at least six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected agency communications. Creating a new executive board to help Walensky set strategy and priorities. Appointment of Mary Wakefield as senior adviser on implementation of changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday. Changing the agency’s organizational chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration. Establishment of an intergovernmental affairs office to work smoothly with other agencies, as well as a senior-level office for health equity.
Walensky also said she plans to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that are there and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” He did not say exactly what that might entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redesigning the organizational chart than about rethinking how CDC operates and motivates staff. “This won’t just be moving boxes around” on the organizational chart, he said. Schwartz said the flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved. While he said the reorganization is a positive step, he added that “I hope it’s not the end of the story.” He said he would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises. More
title: “Cdc Director Rochelle Walensky Announces Agency Reversal Citing Covid Mistakes Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “Johnny Grant”
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders are calling it a “reset” — come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staff moves and steps to speed up data traffic. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told agency staff about the changes Wednesday. It is a CDC initiative and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, he said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really tough three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. speaks during the Federal Hearing on the COVID Response on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The Atlanta-based agency, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s common for any CDC director to do some reorganization, but Walensky’s action comes amid a broader demand for change. “I think the public health infrastructure in the country was not capable of handling this pandemic,” Walensky told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John LaPook. “We’ve learned some tough lessons over the last three years and as part of that it’s my responsibility, it’s the organization’s responsibility, to learn from those lessons and do better.” The agency has long been criticized for being too heavy-handed, focusing on data collection and analysis but not acting quickly against new health threats. Public dissatisfaction with the agency has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much of the virus entered the U.S. from Europe, recommend people wear masks, say the virus can spread through the air and speed up routine testing for new variants. “We saw during COVID that the structures of the CDC, frankly, were not designed to receive information, digest it and disseminate it to the public with the speed that was needed,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health. Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency needs to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure. In April, he called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. “It’s not lost on me that we fell behind in a lot of ways” in responding to the coronavirus, Walensky said. “We’ve had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of that effort has been holding up the mirror … to figure out where and how we can do better.” He told CBS News that the agency should have “special forces” deployed during pandemics. “I have no doubt that they are up to the task,” he told LaPook. Its reorganization proposal must be approved by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and in place by early next year. Some changes are still being shaped, but the steps announced Wednesday include:
Increasing use of preprinted scientific reports to obtain actionable data, rather than waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the journal CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further upgrading CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance to the public clearer and easier to follow. Changing the amount of time agency leaders spend on outbreak responses to at least six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected agency communications. Creating a new executive board to help Walensky set strategy and priorities. Appointment of Mary Wakefield as senior adviser on implementation of changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday. Changing the agency’s organizational chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration. Establishment of an intergovernmental affairs office to work smoothly with other agencies, as well as a senior-level office for health equity.
Walensky also said she plans to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that are there and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” He did not say exactly what that might entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redesigning the organizational chart than about rethinking how CDC operates and motivates staff. “This won’t just be moving boxes around” on the organizational chart, he said. Schwartz said the flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved. While he said the reorganization is a positive step, he added that “I hope it’s not the end of the story.” He said he would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises. More
title: “Cdc Director Rochelle Walensky Announces Agency Reversal Citing Covid Mistakes Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-16” author: “Tracy Gardner”
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders are calling it a “reset” — come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staff moves and steps to speed up data traffic. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told agency staff about the changes Wednesday. It is a CDC initiative and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, he said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really tough three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. speaks during the Federal Hearing on the COVID Response on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The Atlanta-based agency, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s common for any CDC director to do some reorganization, but Walensky’s action comes amid a broader demand for change. “I think the public health infrastructure in the country was not capable of handling this pandemic,” Walensky told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John LaPook. “We’ve learned some tough lessons over the last three years and as part of that it’s my responsibility, it’s the organization’s responsibility, to learn from those lessons and do better.” The agency has long been criticized for being too heavy-handed, focusing on data collection and analysis but not acting quickly against new health threats. Public dissatisfaction with the agency has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much of the virus entered the U.S. from Europe, recommend people wear masks, say the virus can spread through the air and speed up routine testing for new variants. “We saw during COVID that the structures of the CDC, frankly, were not designed to receive information, digest it and disseminate it to the public with the speed that was needed,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health. Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency needs to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure. In April, he called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. “It’s not lost on me that we fell behind in a lot of ways” in responding to the coronavirus, Walensky said. “We’ve had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of that effort has been holding up the mirror … to figure out where and how we can do better.” He told CBS News that the agency should have “special forces” deployed during pandemics. “I have no doubt that they are up to the task,” he told LaPook. Its reorganization proposal must be approved by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and in place by early next year. Some changes are still being shaped, but the steps announced Wednesday include:
Increasing use of preprinted scientific reports to obtain actionable data, rather than waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the journal CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further upgrading CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance to the public clearer and easier to follow. Changing the amount of time agency leaders spend on outbreak responses to at least six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected agency communications. Creating a new executive board to help Walensky set strategy and priorities. Appointment of Mary Wakefield as senior adviser on implementation of changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday. Changing the agency’s organizational chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration. Establishment of an intergovernmental affairs office to work smoothly with other agencies, as well as a senior-level office for health equity.
Walensky also said she plans to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that are there and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” He did not say exactly what that might entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redesigning the organizational chart than about rethinking how CDC operates and motivates staff. “This won’t just be moving boxes around” on the organizational chart, he said. Schwartz said the flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved. While he said the reorganization is a positive step, he added that “I hope it’s not the end of the story.” He said he would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises. More
title: “Cdc Director Rochelle Walensky Announces Agency Reversal Citing Covid Mistakes Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-30” author: “Jodie Hendricks”
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders are calling it a “reset” — come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staff moves and steps to speed up data traffic. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told agency staff about the changes Wednesday. It is a CDC initiative and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, he said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really tough three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. speaks during the Federal Hearing on the COVID Response on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The Atlanta-based agency, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s common for any CDC director to do some reorganization, but Walensky’s action comes amid a broader demand for change. “I think the public health infrastructure in the country was not capable of handling this pandemic,” Walensky told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John LaPook. “We’ve learned some tough lessons over the last three years and as part of that it’s my responsibility, it’s the organization’s responsibility, to learn from those lessons and do better.” The agency has long been criticized for being too heavy-handed, focusing on data collection and analysis but not acting quickly against new health threats. Public dissatisfaction with the agency has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much of the virus entered the U.S. from Europe, recommend people wear masks, say the virus can spread through the air and speed up routine testing for new variants. “We saw during COVID that the structures of the CDC, frankly, were not designed to receive information, digest it and disseminate it to the public with the speed that was needed,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health. Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency needs to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure. In April, he called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. “It’s not lost on me that we fell behind in a lot of ways” in responding to the coronavirus, Walensky said. “We’ve had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of that effort has been holding up the mirror … to figure out where and how we can do better.” He told CBS News that the agency should have “special forces” deployed during pandemics. “I have no doubt that they are up to the task,” he told LaPook. Its reorganization proposal must be approved by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and in place by early next year. Some changes are still being shaped, but the steps announced Wednesday include:
Increasing use of preprinted scientific reports to obtain actionable data, rather than waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the journal CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further upgrading CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance to the public clearer and easier to follow. Changing the amount of time agency leaders spend on outbreak responses to at least six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected agency communications. Creating a new executive board to help Walensky set strategy and priorities. Appointment of Mary Wakefield as senior adviser on implementation of changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday. Changing the agency’s organizational chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration. Establishment of an intergovernmental affairs office to work smoothly with other agencies, as well as a senior-level office for health equity.
Walensky also said she plans to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that are there and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” He did not say exactly what that might entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redesigning the organizational chart than about rethinking how CDC operates and motivates staff. “This won’t just be moving boxes around” on the organizational chart, he said. Schwartz said the flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved. While he said the reorganization is a positive step, he added that “I hope it’s not the end of the story.” He said he would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises. More
title: “Cdc Director Rochelle Walensky Announces Agency Reversal Citing Covid Mistakes Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-23” author: “Betty Britt”
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders are calling it a “reset” — come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staff moves and steps to speed up data traffic. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told agency staff about the changes Wednesday. It is a CDC initiative and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, he said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really tough three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press. Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. speaks during the Federal Hearing on the COVID Response on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Getty Images The Atlanta-based agency, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s common for any CDC director to do some reorganization, but Walensky’s action comes amid a broader demand for change. “I think the public health infrastructure in the country was not capable of handling this pandemic,” Walensky told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. John LaPook. “We’ve learned some tough lessons over the last three years and as part of that it’s my responsibility, it’s the organization’s responsibility, to learn from those lessons and do better.” The agency has long been criticized for being too heavy-handed, focusing on data collection and analysis but not acting quickly against new health threats. Public dissatisfaction with the agency has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much of the virus entered the U.S. from Europe, recommend people wear masks, say the virus can spread through the air and speed up routine testing for new variants. “We saw during COVID that the structures of the CDC, frankly, were not designed to receive information, digest it and disseminate it to the public with the speed that was needed,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health. Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency needs to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure. In April, he called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. “It’s not lost on me that we fell behind in a lot of ways” in responding to the coronavirus, Walensky said. “We’ve had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of that effort has been holding up the mirror … to figure out where and how we can do better.” He told CBS News that the agency should have “special forces” deployed during pandemics. “I have no doubt that they are up to the task,” he told LaPook. Its reorganization proposal must be approved by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and in place by early next year. Some changes are still being shaped, but the steps announced Wednesday include:
Increasing use of preprinted scientific reports to obtain actionable data, rather than waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the journal CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further upgrading CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance to the public clearer and easier to follow. Changing the amount of time agency leaders spend on outbreak responses to at least six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected agency communications. Creating a new executive board to help Walensky set strategy and priorities. Appointment of Mary Wakefield as senior adviser on implementation of changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday. Changing the agency’s organizational chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration. Establishment of an intergovernmental affairs office to work smoothly with other agencies, as well as a senior-level office for health equity.
Walensky also said she plans to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that are there and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” He did not say exactly what that might entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redesigning the organizational chart than about rethinking how CDC operates and motivates staff. “This won’t just be moving boxes around” on the organizational chart, he said. Schwartz said the flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved. While he said the reorganization is a positive step, he added that “I hope it’s not the end of the story.” He said he would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises. More
