New CDC Director Appointed
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald has been the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and the state health officer for the past six years.
HHS Secretary Dr. Tom Price on July 7 appointed Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., as CDC director and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). She is the 17th director in CDC's history, following Dr. Tom Frieden.
"Today, I am extremely proud and excited to announce Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald as the new director of the CDC," Price 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. We look forward to working with Dr. Fitzgerald to achieve President Trump's goal of strengthening public health surveillance and ensuring global health security at home and abroad. Congratulations to Dr. Fitzgerald and her family."
Fitzgerald has been the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and the state health officer for the past six years. She replaces Dr. Anne Schuchat, who has been the acting CDC director and acting ATSDR administrator since Jan. 20 and is returning to her role as CDC's principal deputy director.
Price expressed "my deep appreciation and thanks to Dr. Anne Schuchat for her exemplary service as acting director of the CDC," adding, "We thank Dr. Schuchat and her team for their dedication in our public health efforts to keep Americans safe and for their work to ensure a seamless transition. We look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Schuchat in her role as principal deputy director of CDC."
Fitzgerald is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who has practiced medicine for three decades. As Georgia DPH Commissioner, she directed the state's 18 public health districts and 159 county health departments.
Also on July 7, as a result of Fitzgerald's appointment, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Dr. J. Patrick O’Neal, who was director of Health Protection for the Georgia Department of Public Health, as the department's interim commissioner in Fitzgerald's stead.