Trump nominates former deputy surgeon general to lead CDC
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Schwartz. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard
President Trump on Thursday nominated his former deputy surgeon general Erica Schwartz for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and moved to fill several other top positions at the beleaguered agency.
Why it matters: The CDC has been without a permanent political leader since Susan Monarez was fired in August after serving in the role for less than a month.
- If confirmed, Schwartz would face a demoralized workforce that's been racked by turnover. Some current and former employees have blamed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for spreading misinformation and dismantling the public health infrastructure.
Driving the news: Trump called Schwartz "a STAR!" in a Truth Social post, adding she had the knowledge and experience to turnaround an agency he said was focused on mandates under the Biden administration.
- Trump also appointed Sean Slovenski, a former president of Walmart Health, as CDC deputy director and chief operating officer.
- He additionally named Jennifer Shuford, the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, as deputy director and chief medical officer, and Sara Brenner, now FDA's principal deputy commissioner, as senior counselor for public health to Kennedy.
Between the lines: The CDC director is subject to Senate confirmation, A nominee with a traditional public health background like Schwartz could fare better than Trump's pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, whose nomination has stalled.
- Schwartz spent 24 years in the uniformed service, becoming a rear admiral of the Coast Guard, where she served as the chief medical officer.
- She has an MD from Brown University and a law degree from the University of Maryland.
- The White House in March postponed the planned selection of a permanent director, leaving acting head Jay Bhattacharya overseeing the agency.
