CDC's acting chief promises a return to stability in a tumultuous moment
CBSN
President Trump will soon nominate a permanent director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its acting chief, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, told agency employees at a Wednesday staff meeting. In:
President Trump will soon nominate a permanent director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its acting chief, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, told agency employees at a Wednesday staff meeting.
According to a recording obtained by KFF Health News, Bhattacharya at one point suggested to CDC staff that Mr. Trump could name a new leader for the agency as soon as Thursday. "But if not, I don't think much will change," he said.
Though his official position as acting director was set to expire Wednesday, Dr. Bhattacharya will continue to lead the agency until the top spot is filled. Meanwhile, news outlets including Axios and The Washington Post reported that the administration was postponing filling the permanent director job amid the challenges of gaining Senate confirmation and other political pressures.
Dr. Bhattacharya opened the meeting by acknowledging the struggles the beleaguered agency has faced over the past year. Workers faced multiple rounds of job losses, and a gunman attacked the CDC's Atlanta campus in August, killing a police officer and causing significant property damage. "I want to acknowledge very honestly that I know that it has been such a difficult year for the CDC and for every single one of you here," Dr. Bhattacharya said.
He said the agency has begun to fill its leadership gaps. During his first meeting with the agency's top leaders, he said, "I noticed almost every single one of them is acting."

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