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An internal CDC review has found deep concerns about the agency's culture and responsiveness to public health threats, Bloomberg reports.
Why it matters: The findings could usher in big changes at an agency that's caught flack from public health experts, Congress and local officials for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
What they're saying: Individuals inside the CDC or from adjacent government agencies raised longstanding frustrations, according to Bloomberg, citing a rigid budget structure that prevents money from being reallocated to new priorities during emergencies.
- The CDC also has insufficient authority and tools to obtain data from local governments and health care providers and to analyze it, the individuals said.
- The review also takes up how the CDC can more quickly turn around its scientific research and disseminate findings to the public.
Background: The CDC has been involved in a series of messaging missteps that hindered the Biden administration's COVID response.
- Months of convoluted guidance hit a breaking point with widely criticized agency guidance on how long COVID patients should remain in isolation.
What's ahead: Part of the review is being led by longtime HHS official James Macrae, who continues to interview people, Bloomberg reported.
- The results could give CDC director Rochelle Walensky momentum to usher in bureaucratic changes at the Atlanta-based agency.