Erica Schwartz is Trump's nominee for CDC chief : NPR
Key Points:
- President Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general in his first term, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a role requiring Senate confirmation.
- Schwartz is a retired Rear Admiral, board-certified preventive medicine physician, and holds degrees in medicine, law, and public health; she previously served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard.
- Trump also announced three additional executive appointments to the CDC leadership team aimed at restoring scientific standards and operational stability at the agency.
- Schwartz would work under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC, and is expected to take over leadership from acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya during the confirmation process.
- The CDC faces challenges including staff demoralization and budget cuts, but Schwartz's nomination has received cautious optimism from current staff and public health leaders who praise her qualifications and commitment to science.