New CDC chief acknowledges staffing crisis, burnout in first all-hands address
CDC's new director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, addressed staff for the first time, acknowledging severe staffing shortages and low morale while pledging to advocate for the agency.
In her inaugural all-hands meeting on Wednesday, Dr. Erica Schwartz, the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), acknowledged the agency's deep operational challenges, including critical staffing shortages in congressionally funded programs and widespread employee burnout.
Schwartz, who assumed leadership of the Atlanta-based agency last week after a period of interim directors, addressed staff directly, referencing recent reporting on programs that have become effectively dormant due to layoffs and extended leaves under the previous administration. She did not outline specific remedies but committed to meeting with employees to better understand the issues and explore solutions.
"The good news is, I'm here," Schwartz said during the meeting, according to a recording reviewed by Varta Wire. "I'm Week 1 of being here, and now I can certainly be able to advocate for the CDC." She noted that a leadership vacuum had previously hindered such advocacy.
Schwartz, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Public Health Service, stated she would not hesitate to disagree with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. when necessary, but would do so privately, a practice she attributed to her uniformed service background. "Not in front of the media," she added.
She also echoed language used by Kennedy, promising to rebuild public trust through "radical transparency, scientific rigor and honest communications."
The agency has lost more than 3,000 employees—over a quarter of its workforce—due to layoffs and resignations. Morale has suffered amid a series of short-lived leaders, and the front office has been staffed by political appointees lacking medical or public health training.
During the meeting, staff raised questions about a recent executive order on childhood vaccine recommendations. Schwartz confirmed that a task force on childhood vaccine safety, which includes her, has been established but has not yet convened. The panel has 90 days to report to the President.
While some current and former employees found Schwartz's tone earnest, they expressed a need for concrete action. The National Public Health Coalition, representing CDC workers, released a statement emphasizing that trust "must be earned through action," and called for a leader who will "follow the science" and defend public health expertise.