The Trump administration today named Brenda Fitzgerald, Georgia’s Public Health Commissioner, as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fitzgerald, 70, is an obstetrician-gynecologist who was in private practice for 30 years before she was picked by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R) to heard the state’s public health department when it became a stand-alone agency in 2011. Fitzgerald fills CDC’s top spot held previously by Tom Frieden who stepped down in January after serving for eight years. Anne Schuchat, a veteran CDC official, has been serving as acting director.
As a state official, Fitzgerald has said that public health’s three fundamental responsibilities are inspections, such as of food; disease surveillance and monitoring’s, such as for Zika; and emergency response. “All those responsibilities must be maintained and strengthened,” Fitzgerald said.
“Having known Dr. Fitzgerald for many years, I know that she has a deep appreciation and understanding of medicine, public health, policy and leadership–all qualities that will prove vital as she leads the CDC in its work to protect America’s health 24/7,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
