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The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday announced a “reset” that will focus on making the organization faster in responding to new health threats amid criticism of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky briefed agency staff on the changes, which include internal personnel moves and steps to speed up the release of data.
“For 75 years, CDC and public health have prepared for COVID-19, and at our biggest moment, our performance fell reliably short of expectations,” she said in a statement obtained by The Washington Post. “My goal is a new, action-oriented culture of public health at CDC that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication and timeliness.”
The changes are a CDC initiative and were not directed by the White House or other administration officials, Walensky said.
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CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced sweeping changes at the agency on Wednesday.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Among the changes announced Wednesday was a restructuring of the agency’s communications office and revamp of its website to make public health guidance easier to find and increased use of preprinted scientific reports to more quickly issue actionable data.
Other changes included the creation of a new executive council to help Walensky set strategy and priorities, while also undoing some changes made during the Trump administration.
“I feel it’s my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after three really challenging years,” Walensky told The Associated Press.
The changes come amid ongoing criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats.
The CDC is a federal agency based in Atlanta charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats.
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Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much of the virus was entering the U.S. from Europe, recommend people wear masks, say the virus can spread through the air and increase systematic testing for new variants.
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The CDC has a budget of $12 billion and more than 11,000 employees. Walensky became director of the agency in January 2021.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
