The CDC chief, Dr. Julie Gerberding was publicly spanked by a congressional panel this week. Not that she acknowledged it. As a good Bushie, she never admits fault. Like George W., she "understands" everybody's concern and she is concerned, too. About what? Morale at the very agency she runs, CDC. The only news here is that she admits there is a morale problem, because she has been denying any such problem for years even as morale was tanking as she bravely mismanaged the agency in the face of overwhelming evidence she was making a mess of things. Her acknowledgment was not an admission of guilt, however. Morale was bad because the purse strings are tight, forcing a disconnect between available resources and "the responsibilities we feel in our hearts." Yes, CDC has suffered serious budget cuts on her watch, but it is also true she has failed to fight for the agency in public, and if she was doing it in private, she was clearly ineffective. She failed to fight for CED again this week in Congress:
For fiscal 2008, the agency requested a total of $8.82 billion, down from $8.98 billion in the current year. Among areas slated for cuts are vaccination programs for children, upgrades of state and local health capacity, and repairs and improvements of CDC buildings.
But in her testimony to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies, Gerberding said the request is enough for the agency to do its job now while preparing for the future.
"In an era of limited fiscal resources and many competing priorities, the FY 2008 budget strikes a balance between preparing for urgent threats and confronting urgent realities," she said. (Bob Dart, Atlanta Journal Constitution)
What a load of crap. It's a wonder she hasn't developed an overuse injury from carrying water for the Bush administration.
Gerberding is widely disliked and distrusted by her employees for her arrogance and insensitivity, but one of her techniques is to praise the poor souls to the skies (or at least praise the "senior leaders" she appointed). It's a sneaky way to identify herself with their brave fight. Their morale problem, she seems to be saying, is her morale problem, too. But she has also slyly blamed them for her failures. Her forced, badly received and badly working master reorganization has become a destructive obsession with her, yet she obliquely blames its failure on her employees by saying "change is hard."
I can tell you what kind of change wouldn't be hard for me. One that occurred at the top of CDC.
- Log in to post comments
See what CDC staffers are saying.
HA! Melanie. The first 'news' is a link to something for which the Reveres can offer advice.
Bioterrorism preparedness hard to prove
CDC struggles to evaluate change
"We're not able to demonstrate accountability," said Craig Thomas, chief of the CDC office that evaluates and monitors public health departments. "It's not just accountability to the CDC. It's accountability to your community. It's accountability to your local stakeholders and the people who fund you as well.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2007/03/11/natbioterror03…
Well Revere, we agree about the Gerberdinator. Poor choice on the part of the Administration. But look ahead old friend. Its just a shade under a year and eight months before she hits the door. She might go before then anyway. Sheyit, we could just appoint ole Dr. Pat Healy of Red Cross fame that was going to snark up a billion dollars and make some cheesy payments to the 9/11 victims families. Originally they were going to pay about 100 G per family. Hey, they are going to need a replacement soon. Put in your resume and see what happens. You might get a shot.
Greg: I clipped it a couple of days ago with the intention of commenting on it, although there isn't much to comment on when you look at it carefully. There were some other things in the queue, but it might make it yet.
Randy: I think I have a slightly better chance at VP.
And from dKos it looks like she's going to be losing another $118 million to the war in Iraq.
Revere-I have but one question about that VP position...Do you hunt?
(Does hunting for diseases count, MRK?)
Randy, crfullmoon: I don't hunt animals (except vermin on Mrs. R.'s behalf) but I do hunt diseases (thank you crf!). So far I haven't made any of my colleagues sick (jokes aside). Does that disqualify me?
Only if you miss on both.
VP would uncover your cover revere!
delurking
They told us here that we should be prepared to "change jobs every five years." Dr. G is in her fifth year.
The first reorg was a catastrophe (the EIS program was folded into the training organization, for example); the latest reorg has the National Immunization Program being split into different components. Make of that what you will.
relurking
Revere, it occurs to me now, that I was not thinking about Mr?Dr Thomas' problem, but rather our problem.
What do we require of a public health system? What can be measured, and what not? How do we keep the parts we need in the face of demands to eliminate the uncountable.
Perhaps I am asking, what do you think we should be building? How do we protect the architect's drawings? How do we protect the finished structure?