June 2, 2023 – Former North Carolina Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen is ready to be named the following director of the CDC, in accordance with multiple media reports.
She will succeed outgoing director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who announced her resignation at the top of June earlier this yr.
Cohen ended her five-year stint as North Carolina's top health official at the top of 2021 and currently works as an executive within the private sector. According to a summary, she spent greater than 15 years in public service, including outstanding federal government positions in Medicare, Medicaid and Healthcare.gov during President Barack Obama's administration. The (Raleigh, NC) News & ObserverShe is a graduate of Cornell, Harvard and Yale universities.
Cohen trained as an internist, but ultimately followed her pre-doctoral interests in policy and public health and worked extensively in the general public sector.
The expected choice of Cohen as Walensky’s successor was first reported by The Washington PostThe newspaper also reported that Cohen was congratulated by US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra earlier this week.
Cohen has ties to officials in President Joe Biden's administration, including chief of staff Jeff Zients, the Post reported. She campaigned for Obama with current Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy and was a supporter of the Affordable Care Act, also generally known as Obamacare.
Cohen takes over Walensky's role on the CDC amid criticism that the agency's response to the pandemic has been slow and poorly communicated.
Biden's formal announcement of Cohen's move to the CDC is anticipated later this month.