Dr. Mandy Cohen delivers a news conference at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on November 10, 2021.
Bryan Anderson | AP
President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he will appoint Dr. Mandy Cohen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cohen served as the head of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services. She also held a senior position at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where she played an instrumental role in implementing Affordable Care Act programs.
Dr. Cohen, a doctor of internal medicine, is widely recognized as one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders. President Biden stated, “Dr. Cohen is experienced in leading large and complex organizations and has a proven track record of protecting Americans’ health and safety.”
The appointment of CDC directors currently does not require Senate confirmation. However, this will change in January 2025 following recent legislation passed by Congress.
Cohen’s appointment comes at a time of transition for federal health leadership in the United States as the Covid-19 public health emergency has ended.
The current CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, will step down at the end of this month. Dr. Walensky has led the CDC through the Covid vaccine rollout, as well as the delta and omicron waves of the virus. In her resignation letter to President Biden, she cited the conclusion of the Covid emergency.
Dr. Cohen will assume leadership of a restructured CDC that aims to address criticisms of its slow response during the pandemic and its sometimes confusing health guidance for the public.
However, the CDC is not the only health agency undergoing changes. Dr. Ashish Jha recently left his position as head of the Covid task force at the White House after more than a year of service.
President Biden has also nominated Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, the current director of the National Cancer Institute, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH has been without a confirmed leader since December 2021.
Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate health committee, voiced his opposition to Bertagnolli’s nomination in an interview with The Washington Post this week. He stated that he would withhold support until the president presents a clear strategy to lower drug prices.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
