CDC Director Announces Organization Changes for Faster Response to Health Threats (Connecting the Dots: CDC & Soros Funded Think Tanks)

CDC Director Announces Organization Changes for Faster Response to Health Threats (Connecting the Dots: CDC & Soros Funded Think Tanks)

Newsmax

Wednesday, 17 August 2022 12:11 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/cdc-walensky-organization/2022/08/17/id/1083485/

The head of nation's top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, intended to make it more nimble.

The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”—  come amid ongoing criticism of the agency's response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases.

The CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told the agency's staff about the changes on Wednesday. It's a CDC initiative, and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, she said.

“I feel like it's my my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really challenging three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press.

The CDC, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is an Atlanta-based federal agency charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s customary for each CDC director to do some reorganizing, but Walensky’s action comes amid a wider demand for change.

The agency has long been criticized as too ponderous, focusing on collection and analysis of data but not acting quickly against new health threats. But public unhappiness with the agency grew dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much virus was entering the U.S. from Europe, to recommend people wear masks, to say the virus can spread through the air, and to ramp up systematic testing for new variants.

“We saw during COVID that CDC’s structures, frankly, weren’t designed to take in information, digest it and disseminate it to the public at the speed necessary,” 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 has to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure.

In April, she called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. Her reorganization proposal must be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services secretary. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved, and underway by early next year.

Some changes still are being formulated, but steps announced Wednesday include:

— Increasing use of preprint scientific reports to get out actionable data, instead of waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

— Restructuring the agency's communications office and further revamping CDC websites to make the agency's guidance for the public more clear and easier to find.

— Altering the length of time agency leaders are devoted to outbreak responses to a minimum of six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected the agency’s communications.

— Creation of a new executive council to help Walensky set strategy and priorities.

— Appointing Mary Wakefield as senior counselor to implement the 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.

— Altering the agency's organization chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration.

— Establishing an office of intergovernmental affairs to smooth partnerships with other agencies, as well as a higher-level office on health equity.

Walensky also said she intends to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that exist, and I'd like to work to break down some of the silos." She did not say exactly what that may entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redrawing the organization chart than rethinking how the CDC does business and motivates staff.

“This will not be simply moving boxes" on the organization chart, she said.

Schwartz said flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC, because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved.

A CDC reorganization is a positive step but “I hope it's not the end of the story,” Schwartz said. He would like to see "a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises.

Connecting the Dots:

CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Robert Jeffrey was a board member for the CDC Foundation and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and Human Rights Watch.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch, the Millennium Promise and the Robin Hood Foundation.

Amy Robbins Towers is a director at the Human Rights Watch, a board member for the CDC Foundation, was a director at the Millennium Promise and married to Larry Robbins.

Larry Robbins was married to Amy Robbins Towers and is a director at the Robin Hood Foundation.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation and Emma Bloomberg’s father.

Emma Bloomberg was the chief of staff for the Robin Hood Foundation, Michael R. Bloomberg’s daughter, and is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the CDC Foundation.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is an umbrella organization for the Bloomberg Family Foundation and was a funder for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Jeffrey P. Koplan is a board member for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and was a director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Donald R. Hopkins was a board member for the CDC Foundation and is the VP, health programs for the Carter Center.

Jimmy Carter is a co-founder & trustee at the Carter Center and was an honorary co-chairman for the Millennium Promise.

Amy Robbins Towers was a director at the Millennium Promise married to Larry Robbins, is a director at the Human Rights Watch and a board member for the CDC Foundation.

CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Resources: Past Research

The CDC: A Truly Corrupt and Dangerous Organization (Past Research on the CDC)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-cdc-truly-corrupt-and-dangerous.html