President Donald Trump nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general who supports vaccines, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an April 17 announcement. If confirmed by the Senate, Schwartz would become the agency's fourth leader in about a year.
The nomination comes at a time of frequent leadership changes at the CDC. Stability in this position is seen as important for public health efforts and policy continuity.
In addition to the nomination, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before Congress this week during hearings on Trump's budget request for his department. Lawmakers discussed various topics beyond federal funding, including Medicaid fraud, measles outbreaks, hepatitis B vaccination, peptides, and issues concerning unaccompanied minors.
This week's developments were discussed by panelists Mary Agnes Carey of KFF Health News; Anna Edney of Bloomberg News; Emmarie Huetteman of KFF Health News; and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine. The episode also featured an interview with immigration attorney Michelle Canero about how administration policies affect the medical workforce.
Panelists recommended several health policy stories for further reading: Politico's report on Nebraska's Medicaid work requirements by Alice Miranda Ollstein; The New York Times' article on artificial intelligence risks by Teddy Rosenbluth; Bloomberg's coverage of hormone drug sales after FDA safety warnings were removed by Anna Edney; and KFF Health News' piece on AI-powered therapy tools by Darius Tahir.
