CDC, under fire, lays out plan to become more nimble and accountable

The nation’s top public health official acknowledged Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had failed to respond effectively to the coronavirus pandemic, and committed to extensive changes, including faster release of scientific findings and easier-to-understand guidance.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told senior leaders that she had embraced a long-awaited revamp of CDC culture based on an internal review that called for a more nimble and better-trained workforce and changing incentives to reward action over publication, among other things.

“For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations,” she said in a statement. “My goal is a new, public health action-oriented culture at CDC that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication, and timeliness.”

Walensky appointed Mary Wakefield, a former deputy health secretary in the Obama administration, to lead the effort, which she cautioned “will take time and engagement at all levels of the organization.” The recommendations were shared on Wednesday morning, first to senior staff and then across the Atlanta-based agency, which employs about 13,000 people, according to a senior CDC official who provided details but was not authorized to speak on the record.