This week brought a surprise and some relief (maybe). The president nominated Erica Schwartz, MD, JD to lead the CDC.
She’s a board-certified preventive medicine doctor, a former deputy surgeon general, a retired Coast Guard officer, and has a law degree. More importantly, she actually believes in using evidence to guide public health policy decisions.
I gotta say, this pick looks like the president is stomping on Kennedy’s toes pretty hard. Kennedy built his brand on spraying false information about vaccines and doing whatever he can to undermine evidence-based public health.
Schwartz is the opposite. She has a long history of believing in the scientific method and using evidence and data to inform and drive policy decisions.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, head of the APHA and keynote speaker at our May 1 AZPHA conference, said this week:
“I think the administration has identified someone who is highly qualified and has a demonstrated track record of competence in being both a good physician and a decent manager. Things she’s said have clearly been based on good science.”
If confirmed, Dr. Schwartz would be a check on Kennedy’s whimsical vibe-based policy making. Let’s hope she uses her authority to push back on Kennedy. A bit of brinksmanship would be refreshing.
