Centers for Disease Control launches reorganization
By David McGlinchey
dmcglinchey@govexec.com
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week announced a sweeping overhaul of its organizational structure.
On April 21, CDC Director Julie Gerberding announced that Congress had approved the reorganization proposal for the agency, which is based in Atlanta and has an annual operating budget of $8 billion. She told reporters that the reshaped CDC should be more versatile, efficient and prepared for current public health threats.
"We wanted to modernize the CDC," Gerberding said. "This is a very, very important day in the history of this organization; we are changing the way we look ... I think you'll be able to see even better science out of this agency."
According to CDC officials, the reorganization will improve communication and coordination, including the creation of four new coordinating centers: Environmental Health and Injury Prevention, Health Promotion, Infectious Diseases, and Health Information and Services. An agency spokeswoman said the coordinating centers will improve communication among experts from different parts of the CDC, in an effort to share knowledge and research.
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0405/042605d1.htm